GO-KART BRAINFART

Neighbourhood row turns ugly as man hit and injured with car

A respected senior Coast Guard member charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle claims he was being assaulted during an encounter with late night “hoons” near his Upper Coomera home.

A RESPECTED senior Coast Guard leader faces charges after a man was hit by a car during a neighbourhood row but his lawyer rejects any suggestion it was deliberate.

Police have charged Southport QF1 Coast Guard commander Ken Stanley after the drama two Saturdays ago which put Bruce Pinkerton in hospital.

Mr Stanley was charged on Saturday afternoon with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and common assault.

Mr Stanley’s lawyer Anthony Jamieson confirmed it when asked yesterday if he was aware police had charged his client.

“Yes, I do know that,” he said.

Late last week Mr Jamieson claimed his “highly regarded” and “responsible” client was being assaulted by a third party through the driver’s side window at the time of the incident — and agreed this had caused him to accidentally drive into Mr Pinkerton.

Police investigating the late-night drama two Saturdays ago in Upper Coomera confirmed charging a 65-yearold Upper Coomera man with dangerous operation of a vehicle and common assault.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said one person was hit by a car after a dispute on the night on Forest Oak Drive and were investigating allegations two other people were also assaulted at the time.

Police confirmed they were called out about 10.10pm by someone saying a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle.

A Gold Coast Health spokesman said Mr Pinkerton had surgery on his leg last week.

Mr Jamieson said he took a statement from Mr Stanley who told him “hoons” in the street woke them up “tearing up and down the road in gocarts late at night”.

“He went out when they did it a second time to tell them not to do it and drove to the end of the street when (a) man tried to pull him out of the vehicle,” Mr Jamieson claimed.

“Ken Stanley was assaulted through the window of his car and police are aware of that,” he said, adding Mrs Stanley had also been assaulted at one point by being hit with a torch.

“This is just blown all out of proportion.

“He is one of the most responsible people around who is a dedicate man that gives thousands of hours of times and goes out, risks his own life which did recently in the dark to do a rescue out to sea.

“He’s a highly regarded man,” Mr Jamieson said of his client.

HE WENT OUT WHEN THEY DID IT A SECOND TIME TO TELL THEM NOT TO DO IT AND DROVE TO THE END OF THE STREET WHEN (A) MAN TRIED TO PULL HIM OUT OF THE VEHICLE MR STANLEY’S LAWYER ANTHONY JAMIESON