Jail then deportation for attacker

A GOLD Coast man who beat a “friend” during a violent home invasion in Coomera will be deported to New Zealand once he has completed his prison term.

Marcus Cory Samuels, 26, pleaded guilty in Southport District Court yesterday to assault occasioning bodily harm, burglary and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

The court heard Samuels and a friend entered the Coomera home of an acquaintance on February 9, 2015.

Samuels saw the man at the top of the stairs and punched him several times and demanded to know where his car keys were. While Samuels was looking for the car keys his coaccused stabbed the man. The pair fled in the victim’s car.

Crown prosecutor Gary Churchill said the victim was not cooperative with police and changed his story about the motivations for the attack. Months later the victim died in an unrelated car accident.

Defence barrister Kim Bryson said as Samuels was a New Zealand citizen his visa had already been revoked.

Judge Julie Dick gave Samuels to a head sentence of three and a half years prison to be suspended after he served 12 months. He will be deported to New Zealand in July after serving the 12 months.