Dad helps son fight 12yo

Court fines man for role in arranged punch-up

A SINGLE dad who helped his son beat up an apparent school bully on a Gold Coast street and prevented people from stopping the punch-up has been fined $1500.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the children’s identities, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court to assault occasioning bodily harm.

The court heard the man’s son, 13, and a 12-year-old boy met at the corner of Scarborough and Young streets at Southport on March 3 this year for a “pre-arranged fight” and began trading fists.

The man also attended the fight and intervened when it looked like his son was losing.

At times he dragged the 12year-old off his son, and prevented members of the public from breaking up the fight.

His son was able to punch the victim to the head a number of times and kneed him in the torso. The father and son then fled.

But the man’s solicitor Troy Smith, of Moloney MacCallum Abdelshahied Lawyers, said there had been an “ongoing grievance” between the two boys and his client only went to ensure a fair fight.

He conceded his client did intervene at times and that had he not, some of the bruising to the boy would not have occurred.

The court heard the man’s house had been broken into a number of times and he suspected the 12-year-old behind it, and there had been a background of bullying against his son.

“This is a case where (the father) has tried to protect his son,” Mr Smith said. “He’s followed through the appropriate channels … and after a period of time he has taken it upon his own hands, believing that he could settle things … through the old-fashioned ways of having the boys fight.

“He accepts that was unreservedly the wrong choice.”

The court heard the man had moved his son to a different school, and had relocated.

Magistrate Kathleen Payne said it was particularly “abhorrent” because of the violent message it sent to young boys.

“I am still shocked that at the time common sense didn’t intervene to alert you to the ridiculous situation you were about to be part of, and how far from appropriate parenting that action took you,” she said.

“And to have a parent attend and assist and not prevent such action promotes bullying behaviour.”

No conviction was recorded.