Show’s over for flatmates Man in hospital after fight over Netflix, parties

A BROADBEACH WATERS share-house spat over using Netflix and going into someone else’s bedroom has ended with one man in hospital for two days and sacked from his job.

The flatmate fisticuffs also landed Henry Travis Nichols in court and on probation for 18 months.

The fight started when the flatmate noticed things had been moved in his bedroom and his Netflix had been paused on a show he never watched on November 11 last year.

He messaged Nichols, a former heroin addict, telling him to stay out of his room.

But Nichols soon came back and after a verbal argument, punched his flatmate twice leaving him with a bruised face, lump on the back of the head and sore ribs.

The flatmate was in hospital for two days and medical advice.

Nichols claimed the two punches came after months of his flatmate holding large parties and eating his food.

Nichols yesterday pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court to assault occasioning bodily harm and breaching bail.

As well as probation, Magistrate Gary Finger also ordered Nichols pay his now former left against flatmate

“You can’t take these things into your own hands,” Mr Finger said.

Crown prosecutor Bob Falconer said the flatmate was an English language student from Spain who had moved to the Gold Coast to study.

“The assault had consequences on his work and study – he was fired from that job,” he said. $600 in compensation.

Nichols’ lawyer Ross Oden, of Oden Legal, said Nichols was a recovering drug addict after becoming addicted to heroin a number of years ago.

Mr Oden said Nichols had told the flatmate before he moved in one of the rules was there were to be no house parties as he did not want drugs in the house. Another rule was that the flatmate not eat Nichols’ food because he was on a specialised diet.

“When they moved in they immediately started partying,” Mr Oden said. “On some nights there would be up to 30 to 40 people in the house.”

Mr Oden said Nichols tried to address the matters civilly but the flatmate continued to invite friends over to party.

He said the punches were a culmination of weeks of tension within the share house.

Nichols was immediately remorseful and apologised to his flatmate and tried to visit him in hospital, the court was told.