Man hits woman over plonk

A TOWNSVILLE man faced court after he launched a “dreadful” attack on his neighbour, assaulting her and vandalising her car after he thought she had stolen his cask of wine.

The Townsville District Court heard Dyson Grant Douglas was arguing with people at his home over his cask wine on the afternoon of April 22, 2019.

The court heard Douglas’s neighbour walked out of her home to see what the commotion was as Douglas puffed out his chest and said to her: “Give me back my goon, you didn’t pay for it. It’s my goon.”

Douglas picked up a chair from his neighbour’s house and slammed it into the passenger-side windscreen of her car.

Crown prosecutor Kathleen Payne told the court the neighbour told Douglas to move away from her car as he continued to yell about the cask of wine.

Douglas then punched her in the mouth twice, splitting her lip.

Police were called by another neighbour and Douglas was taken to the hospital due to his intoxication.

The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to wilful damage, assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault.

The court heard Douglas had a 15-page criminal history spanning 35 years and was a serious violent offender.

Judge John Coker asked barrister Michael Hibble why Douglas thought his neighbour took his alcohol.

Mr Hibble said Douglas was “pickled with alcohol” and made an “honest mistake” thinking the woman had taken his wine.

Judge Coker said Douglas’s offending “made no sense”.

He took into consideration the 303 days spent in pre-sentence custody and sentenced Douglas to 12 months’ jail, suspended forthwith, with an operational period of 12 months.