Brutal attack on ‘mate’

A CHILDHOOD friendship has been left in tatters after one man bashed the other in the back of a removalist van, including putting the victim in a headlock and kneeing him when he collapsed to his knees.

Jamie Wayne Allison, 34, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm at Towns- ville Magistrates Court yesterday, after he “burst out” at his mate, who was also his boss at the time, while they were working in North Ward on January 19.

The court was told Allison had become provoked by his mate as they were moving furniture into Jade Apartments, calling the victim a series of profanities before punching him in the jaw. The men had known each other since childhood, and the victim had given Allison work as a removalist.

Once in the removalist van, police prosecutor Amanda Lawson said Allison threw a “combination of punches”, effectively cornering the victim.

“The defendant punched him several times in the head, causing the victim to become dizzy and collapse on to one knee,” she said.

“( He then) clasped the victim’s head with both hands and struck the victim on the head with his knee on the left side of his face.”

The victim was able to escape before getting help from bystanders and running to a nearby apartment complex for safety.

He suffered a cut to his eye, a cut to his nose, and had two swollen eyes when paramedics arrived to take him to Townsville Hospital.

Allison said he lost his temper because his mate had been provoking him all day, hanging it over his head that he had got him the job.

Representing himself, the father- of- two, who had no criminal history, said it was “pretty out of character” for him to burst out.

He said he tried to call the victim to apologise but “obviously he didn’t pick up my calls”.

The men have not spoken since.

Allison was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended.