‘Smacko’ break lands man jail time

Prices go up due to fuel

A GOLD Coast man has pleaded guilty to bashing a 60year-old man in broad daylight after he refused to give him a cigarette in Surfers Paradise.

Harry Grillis, 41, pleaded guilty at the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday to serious assault, obstructing police and stealing.

The court was told Grillis approached the man, who was on a 10am smoko break, and asked for a cigarette in July this year.

The man replied “no, sorry mate” and Grillis assaulted him.

Grillis said: “If you don’t give me another cigarette you’ll get another black eye.”

The older man alerted security who then called police who struggled with Grillis when they arrested him.

It took four police officers to restrain and handcuff Grillis and his victim required stitches to his head.

Defence lawyer Bettina Webb said Grillis recognised he had an anger management problem.

Ms Webb said Grillis suffered from severe arthritis and had asked for the cigarette to relieve stress.

Magistrate Kerrie O’Callaghan sentenced Grillis to a total of 15 months prison with a parole release date of today.

The 105 days Grillis had spent in custody was counted as time already served. SOARING fuel prices are pushing up the cost of fresh food, electronics, clothes and other everyday items.

The transport industry has warned record diesel prices are flowing through to the cost of living as increased delivery charges are passed on. The knock-on effect comes as Aussie motorists in the past week were slugged the steepest national average price for unleaded fuel in more than a decade. The average nationally hit 159.3c a litre in the last week – the highest level since 2008.

The national average for diesel was 164.7c a litre. Motorists could see relief of as much as 8c a litre over the next fortnight, as the key Singapore gasoline price had dropped recently and the dollar stabilised.