Man earns jail time for hitting witness
A WARRA man, who savagely attacked a customer who witnessed him steal cigarettes from a popular Dalby takeaway shop, has been handed a jail sentence.
Nigel Robert Turnbull walked into Northside Takeaway about 6.30pm on September 11 while drunk, and asked the shop attendant for cigarettes.
Police prosecutor Derek Brady said Turnbull snatched the cigarettes from the counter and went to leave without paying, in front of several customers waiting for orders.
Dalby Magistrates Court heard the 35-year-old began to abuse customers and swung a flurry of punches, which hit a man in the face.
Sergeant Brady said witnesses retaliated against Turnbull, before police arrived and restrained the father-of-seven.
The witness who was attacked suffered a minor injury, but didn’t make an assault complaint.
Sergeant Brady said Turnbull returned a reading of 0.193 back at the watch-house, and was on a suspended sentence at the time.
Turnbull pleaded guilty to public nuisance and unauthorised dealing of shop goods, and had four months’ of his suspended sentence activated, but was given immediate parole.