Teen guilty of attack on servo worker

A TOWNSVILLE teenager has pleaded guilty to a brutal attack on a service station attendant who refused him entry into the store.

Appearing in Townsville District Court, 16- year- old Terry ( name changed for legal reasons) originally pleaded not guilty to grievous bodily harm.

A judge- only trial commenced and Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard called her first witness, the service station attendant Axyl Thomason.

Ms Sheppard said Terry punched Mr Thomason several times in the face, causing injuries to his left eye socket that required surgery.

Ms Sheppard said the 25year- old had been working at the Coles Express service station in Thuringowa Drive, Kirwan, about 3am on January 29 when three men arrived seeking entry to the store. Mr Thomason denied access to the men, claiming he recognised two of them as having been involved in a shoplifting incident earlier in the week. Ms Sheppard said the men accused him of being racist before leaving.

Mr Thomason said he had to go outside about an hour later because the petrol pumps had been deactivated.

“I saw on my screen that all of the pumps had shut down which meant that someone had pushed the emergency stop button,” he said.

The court heard Thomason went outside to fix the pumps and accidentally locked himself out.

While on the phone to a technical support worker two men approached him and after a conversation one struck him in the face several times.

Mr Thomason identified the two men as part of the group of three that had wanted access to the service station earlier.

Initially he told the court he recognised their clothing but when he said he recognised the accused’s face the trial came to an abrupt halt.

Visibly angered, defence barrister Michael Hibble told Judge Greg Lynham that “identification” had been the main point of contest and the witness had never previously given evidence to recognising his attacker’s face.

After a short break in proceedings Terry returned to court and changed his plea to guilty.

Standing barefoot in the dock, with a full beard and solid build, the 16- year- old could easily have been mistaken for an adult.

Judge Lynham adjourned the matter for sentencing on February 19.