Coast Guard guilty of dangerous use of car

A DECORATED volunteer Coast Guard drove directly at a man on his Upper Coomera street, breaking his leg, after being frustrated by noise neighbours made revving a gokart.

Kenneth Albert Stanley’s future as a Southport Coast Guard Commodore is in doubt after he was sentenced yesterday to 18 months’ prison which was wholly suspended.

Stanley had pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing grievous bodily harm.

His actions on Forest Oak Dve on July 1, 2017, left Bruce Pinkerton still having nightmares and in pain after his leg was broken.

Judge Catherine Muir said the action was “deliberate” and Stanley had the “intention to scare him (the victim)”.

“Using a vehicle as a weapon, if you like, as to frighten someone is pretty serious offending,” she said.

Outside court, one of Stanley’s supporters, an older woman, lashed out at a Bulletin photographer, hitting his camera and causing a cut on his forehead.

Stanley tried to pull the woman away.

When Stanley last appeared in court in December, the same woman grabbed a Bulletin reporter’s phone.

The court was told Stanley, 67, got in his son’s car on Forest Oak Dve, Upper Coomera after he and Mr Pinkerton had argued about noise made by revving the go-kart.

Mr Pinkerton was with the go-kart’s owner, Forest Oak Dve resident Jeff Evans, when he went to talk to Stanley.

Crown prosecutor Matt Hynes said: “Mr Pinkerton walked towards the defendant’s car as (Stanley) was reversing down the street … he then drove at him.”

Stanley’s barrister Anthony Jamieson tendered references from a number of people including Southport MP Rob Molhoek and Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow.

Mr Jamieson said Stanley would not be able to continue to volunteer as a Coast Guard if a conviction was recorded.

“This man is an exceptional member of the community,” he said. “It is not often I have the opportunity to represent someone in the court who has substantial references.”

Mr Jamieson argued the incident was only a matter of seconds.

He said Stanley was “truly sorry” for the injury he caused Mr Pinkerton.

Mr Pinkerton said outside court he would be “very disappointed” if Stanley ever held a position with the Coast Guard again.

“You can’t have somebody like that in charge of community operations,” he said.

“He has a bad temper.”