Son attacks his dad

A FATHER and son’s reunion ended in horror when a young South Burnett man brutalised his dad in a “prolonged and violent” assault that left the other man with significant injuries.

Jundamarra David Wirepa, 24, faced the Kingaroy District Court over the horrific attack in which he bit his dad’s finger, punched him multiple times and left him unconscious.

The court heard the older man was bashed unconscious two times during the ordeal, once with an ashtray and another time with the leg of a chair.

Wirepa and his father had a troubled relationship and had been involved in an altercation in the week prior to the January 16 attack, the court was told.

Wirepa’s father attended a house his son was at on the day of the attack, before tensions led to Wirepa throwing glasses and cups at his father.

The two then exchanged blows.

The court was told property owner and Wirepa’s alleged co-offender, Sosaia

Fatafehi, attempted to break the two apart, but this ended when the co-accused allegedly joined in the attack on Wirepa’s father.

Fatafehi was accused of smashing two wooden chairs over the victim.

A glass fan was broken during the struggle and Wirepa attempted to force his father’s neck towards a piece of broken glass.

The victim was then hit twice with an ashtray before he lost consciousness.

The court heard he woke a short time later, only to be allegedly knocked unconscious once again by Fatafehi with a broken piece of chair leg.

While the victim was unconscious for about 10 minutes, Wirepa and Fatafehi began to clean up the mess left by the struggle, the court was told.

When the father gained consciousness, he asked for an ambulance, to which his son responded “if you don’t get out of this flat now I’m going to kill you”.

The attack left the victim with severe facial injuries, and he was taken to Kingaroy Hospital.

Barrister Catherine Cuthbert told the court Wirepa had a “difficult and troubled” relationship stemming from childhood when his father left him and his mother.

Judge Orazio Rinaudo told Wirepa he should stay away from his father.

Wirepa pleaded guilty to one count each of grievous bodily harm and assault.

He was sentenced to three years’ jail, with immediate parole.

Fatafehi is due to appear in the Kingaroy District Court in November on one count of grievous bodily harm.