Jail for vicious attack

Dispute over cash from burglary sparked series of assaults

A MAN who pleaded guilty to two counts of assault in a “sustained and vicious” attack, has been sentenced to 2½ years in prison.

On January 8, 2015, Nathan Henry John Riley, 37, assaulted a man — who was known to him — in the bedroom of a Ravenswood house over a number of hours, followed by a second assault in a car.

The assaults arose during a dispute over the location of $1000 from a burglary.

The court heard that in the bedroom assault, Riley punched and kicked the victim to the face and body, threatened him with a blow torch, hit him with a claw hammer, gouged his eyes and threatened to kill him.

Justice Shan Tennent said as a result, the victim could barely walk, speak or see because of facial swelling.

Riley, of Launceston, further assaulted him in the car later that day by punching and kicking him, striking him with the claw hammer and binding and gagging him with material.

Justice Tennent said Riley had a long history of drug addiction and this was not his first violent offence, having been sentenced previously for assault and aggravated assault.

“Your actions could not be said to be spur of the moment,” she said. “It was a sustained and quite vicious assault.”

Riley’s lawyer Greg Barns said his client had been on remand for more than 560 days and had been in Risdon Prison’s maximum security unit since November last year “for protection purposes”.

Prisoners in the maximum security unit receive a limited amount of time out of their cell, often just one to two hours a day.

Mr Barns had earlier said that factor should be taken into consideration in sentencing.

Justice Tennent said she was prepared to allow a small degree of leniency in that regard.

But she said Riley had ended up in those circumstances because of his “voluntary involvement in criminal behaviour”.

Justice Tennent sentenced Riley to 2½ years in prison, taking into account he had already spent more than 560 days in Risdon while on remand since January 14 last year.

Riley will be eligible for parole after serving 18 months.