Man jailed for brutally bashing his mother and stealing car
A GIN Gin man who brutally attacked his mother before stealing her car and leaving her on the side of the road has been jailed.
>> Sign our petition for more domestic violence support services in Bundaberg
The man, who can not be named for legal reasons, became enraged with his mother's driving on December 13 while she was taking him home from his probation appointment.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Barry Stevens yesterday told Bundaberg Magistrates Court the 37-year-old man and his mum were arguing in the car, prompting the woman to pull over at the South Kolan Police Station and ask her son to get out.
"He refused to get out and said if she did not drive on, he would punch her," Sgt Stevens said.
The 61-year-old woman refused to drive on and her son then punched her in the face twice, once to the nose and once to the side of her face, causing bruising and swelling.
Sgt Stevens said the woman got out of the car and tried to take the keys with her but her son crushed her hand in the door and then punched the door, hurting her hand further.
The man then stole his mum's car, leaving her injured on the side of the road.
The court heard the man had a long history of violence against women and he yesterday pleaded guilty to charges from other days too including an obstruct police charge, domestic violence breaches and several drug matters.
"That's nothing other than cowardly to be quite honest," probation parole officer Greg McMahon said of the assault.
Solicitor Matt Messenger said his client had been injured in a car crash in 2005 which contributed to his strong feelings about his mum's driving on the day in question.
"The 50km drive was on (his) account a white knuckle ride," Mr Messenger said.
The lawyer said during the trip, the car nearly crashed into a truck and a train on separate occasions.
"Your criminal history indicates to me there's some real violence there," Magistrate Deb Vasta said.
"When you lose your temper, you lose it in a big way.
"It's an extraordinarily violent reaction."
Mrs Vasta fashioned a sentence that will see the man, who has already spent a month behind bars, spend five more months in jail, three months on parole and six months on probation.
"There will be a slow withdrawing of supervision," Mrs Vasta said.
