Escapee finally brought to justice

A MAN who kicked another man in the face in a vicious attack four years ago and fled the state while he was on bail was caught by police on Magnetic Island, a court has heard.

Joshua Michael Dickenson, 29, faced Townsville District Court to be sentenced for assault occasioning bodily harm over the May 2014 incident as well as charges of failing to appear, obstructing police, contravening a requirement of police, possessing tainted property and 10 counts of breaching bail conditions.

The court heard Dickenson had supplied cannabis to victim Joshua Purkiss on May 8, 2014, and later in the day went to his house to collect payment, where Mr Purkiss’ housemate let him in.

Dickenson went into Mr Purkiss’ bedroom, found him lying on the floor playing with his mobile phone, and said “you think you can leave without paying” and kicked him once in the face, causing fractures that required surgery.

Crown prosecutor Carly Hoyer said Dickenson failed to appear in Townsville Magistrates Court in October 2014 and travelled to Western Aus- tralia. Ms Hoyer said Dickenson was arrested by police in North Ward in December 2014 but later fled the state again based on his Western Australian criminal history.

“Three years later approximately he returned to Queensland and by chance was intercepted by police on Magnetic Island,” she said.

Defence barrister Scott Geeves said Mr Purkiss was the ex- boyfriend of Dickenson’s girlfriend at the time and the previous night “there had been some perhaps overtures from the victim to the ex- girlfriend and that didn’t please Mr Dickenson”.

“He returned to Western Australia … because he was scared of the consequences of his actions,” he said.

Judge John Coker described the offence as “vicious”, noting that the victim received “hideous injuries” to the face.

Dickenson was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment for assault occasioning bodily harm, with three- month sentences for all other charges.

His sentence will be suspended after he serves 12 months.

He had served 225 days in pre- sentence custody.