Beef over mince a recipe for trouble

TENSIONS between two housemates had been simmering for some time, a court was told, and an argument over mince was the final straw when a Toowoomba teenager violently bashed his 40-year-old housemate.

Isaiah David Forden had only two more days on his fivemonth lease when on July 21 this year an argument boiled over into violence.

In Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Wednesday the 18year-old pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and wilful damage

The court was told at about 12.30am the two men were in their shared unit when Forden accused the victim of eating his mince.

Police prosecutor Tahlia Boettcher said the victim went to his bedroom as Forden threatened to bash him before kicking a hole in the wall.

“(Forden) entered the victim’s bedroom and began punching and hitting the victim in the head and face with his fist,” Ms Boettcher said.

“After beating the victim (Forden) left the victim’s bedroom, and the victim phoned the police. (Forden) overheard the phone call and then began taunting the victim.”

When police arrived the court was told they found blood on the victim’s head and swelling, while Forden had already fled the scene.

At 2.15am that same day Forden handed himself in to police, where he said the victim had threatened that he was going to bash him if he didn’t go to bed, and that Forden had “lost it” after months of arguing over food and bills.

Forden’s solicitor Philip Stainton told the court his client had moved to Brisbane to live with family and take up a job as a concreter, a job he has held in various forms since leaving school in Year 9.

Mr Stainton said Forden was diagnosed with depression at the age of 12, and was now following a medication regiment set by his doctor to treat his mental health.

“On this night my client has come to the end of his tether,” Mr Stainton said.

“He is very disappointed with himself in how he has reacted on this night and accepts that he should not have acted in the way that he did. He is very remorseful.”

Magistrate Kay Ryan said the assault was “concerning”, but his young age and lack of criminal history were mitigating factors in the sentencing exercise.

“It is with a little bit of reluctance, because there does have to be a deterrence to people who commit these types of offences … I’m going to exercise my discretion and a conviction will not be recorded,” she said.

Forden was fined $800.