Brutal attack over alcohol leads to jail

A GROUP who went on a binge drinking session funded by Centrelink ended up in a violent robbery.

Thomas Bismark, 34, had been drinking heavily for 14 hours with his partner and her relative when he assaulted the relative for her alcohol in Mount Isa.

The Townsville District Court heard Bismark’s partner’s relative had received her Centrelink payment on November 28, 2018, and bought a carton of Smirnoff Ice and a bottle of tequila at 10am.

Crown prosecutor Molly Mahlouzarides told the court the group started drinking and continued into the evening.

The group purchased more alcohol at 7pm and bought a box of moselle and a one-litre bottle of Smirnoff vodka.

At midnight Bismark told his partner’s relative he was going to take her remaining alcohol and pulled her by the hair and dragged her on the ground and kicked her in the mouth.

While she was on the ground Bismark stole money out of her pocket, took the rest of her alcohol and left the house.

Bismark was interviewed by police a week later and said he was too intoxicated to remember the events of the night.

While Bismark was on bail in December 2019, he trashed his public housing property smashing a window and putting a hole in a wall.

A police search of Bismark’s house found a used cone piece.

Bismark pleaded guilty to one count of common assault, one count of robbery, one count of wilful damage of property and one count of possess utensils or pipes.

Defence barrister Tony Collins said his client had consumed an “excessive amount of alcohol” at the time of the offending and had sent his partner’s relative a text message apologising.

Judge John Coker took into account the 34 days spent in pre-sentence custody and sentenced Bismark to nine months’ jail with immediate parole.