I hope you cop it back: magistrate
A MAGISTRATE has told a painter who with two mates assaulted an Uber Eats driver that he hoped the “thug” got “the same back from someone”.
Rhys Michael Gary Asher on Wednesday pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court to multiple charges including assault occasioning bodily harm and assault police.
Without provocation Asher, Ahjay Gordon O’Donnell and another friend attacked the driver outside the Bigger Waters McDonald’s restaurant on April 22.
The group chased the delivery driver through the car park, a drive-through, into the McDonald’s restaurant and into the toilet. They ignored attempts by staff to stop them.
The driver was repeatedly punched and kicked, left with severe bruising and was unable to work for 10 days.
Magistrate Gary Finger unleashed at Asher on Monday.
“You and your little mates can be described as nothing but thugs,” he said.
“That’s all you are is a plain and simple thug.
“You are a 20-year-old thug roaming the streets of the Gold Coast annoying the hell out of anyone you can.
“This person was doing nothing at all to annoy you. Nothing.
“You and your friends decided to take it upon yourself after he didn’t co-operate, you just laid into him.
“I hope for your own sake you get some of the same back from someone.
“Would you like your mother to be walking through McDonald’s and these three young thugs do the same things because she looked at them the wrong way?”
Asher stayed silent throughout the entire lecture.
Mr Finger sentenced him to 18 months’ probation and fined him $1500 for driving offences.
He also ordered Asher pay the victim $800 in compensation. No conviction was recorded.
O’Donnell was sentenced last week to 18 months’ probation and ordered to pay $800 in compensation.
The third man is still before the courts.
Before he finished his sentencing, Mr Finger issued another warning.
“I can guarantee that if you come back before the court for breaching this probation order I will be waiting and you will not like the result,” he said.
Defence lawyer Mollie Roper, of Cooper Maloy Legal, said Asher had been abusing substances at the time and “associated with negative peer groups”.
She said Asher was no longer socialising with those friends and was seeking help for his substance abuse.
The court was told Asher lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic.
WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR MOTHER TO BE WALKING THROUGH McDONALD’S AND THESE THREE YOUNG THUGS DO THE SAME THINGS BECAUSE SHE LOOKED AT THEM THE WRONG WAY?
MAGISTRATE GARY FINGER