Addict in jail over assault

AN ICE addict assaulted a Chinese worker in the Cairns city in an “opportunistic” and “cowardly” attempted robbery.

When the victim ran away, Kylib William Vine chased after him.

The then 20-year-old had been heavily addicted to methylamphetamine and had barely slept in the three weeks leading up to the offence on February 26.

Vine had approached the man as he walked along Aplin St and asked for money a number of times. When the man said no, Vine used both hands to try to take his iPhone.

“When the complainant resisted, the defendant punched him twice in the mouth, cutting the inside of his top lip,” crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said.

“It was an opportunistic offence but a cowardly one.”

She said Vine denied the assault to police but it was captured by CCTV.

In a victim impact statement to the Cairns District Court, the victim, who was in the country on a work visa, spoke of his fear and pain.

Vine, now 21, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery with violence. Barrister Michael Dalton said his client had been using ice since age 14.

Vine had been released from jail in the months prior and had only been able to stay clean for one week before he began using again. Mr Dalton said his offending was “spur of the moment” while under the influence of drugs.

Vine had been in custody since his arrest on March 1. The court was told he was already serving a jail sentence, which was to end on November 6 next year.

Because of this, he was jailed for 15 months but is eligible for parole on February 2.