CENTRE PUNCH ACCUSED STILL IN HOSPITAL

A 25-YEAR-OLD man accused of striking an 84-year-old man with a “coward punch”in Grand Central Shopping Centre remains in custody in hospital.

Jason William Mortimer has been deemed a “classified patient” and has also tested positive for Covid-19, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard on Thursday.

The 25-year-old is accused of punching an 84-year-old man in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground, in Grand Central on July 3.

He is also accused of headbutting another man who came to the aid of the senior citizen leaving that 27-year-old man with a split lip.

Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics treated the 84-year-old man for minor facial lacerations and transported him to the Toowoomba Hospital in a stable condition.

Mortimer has not been required to enter pleas to charges of assault occasioning bodily harm, public nuisance, serious assault of a person over 60 and contravening a police direction.

He has remained in custody since being arrested at the scene and was the day after taken to the Toowoomba Hospital to be assessed by the Mental Health Service.

His solicitor Alysha Jacobsen told the court on Thursday that Mortimer remained a classified patient and he was considered Covid-19 positive.

Classified patients are patients who are in custody for pending or finalised criminal charges but require assessment or treatment in an authorised mental health service.

Ms Jacobsen said the 25year-old had an appointment to see a doctor next Thursday.

Magistrate Louise Shephard therefore remanded Mortimer in custody and adjourned the matters to July 28.