Gold Coast man's spine broken after alleged Facebook Marketplace dispute
Mark Rigby
, ABC News
The 52-year-old man was taken to hospital with a suspected broken spine.
Photo:
ABC News: Liz Pickering
A 52-year-old man is in hospital with a suspected broken spine after allegedly being thrown through a verandah balustrade during a dispute over a car sold on Facebook Marketplace.
Police and ambulance crews were called to the man's home at Stapylton, on the northern Gold Coast, around 1pm on Saturday.
Superintendent Brett Jackson said three people had gone to the man's home looking for a refund on a car one of them had bought from him several days earlier.
He said an argument broke out on the front verandah, which then turned into an assault.
"That involved one of those people pushing or throwing the occupant from a first-storey balcony," he said.
"It's also alleged there was a follow up assault with a piece of broken balustrade, with the victim being struck."
Supintendent Jackson said the man was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital and investigators were yet to speak with him.
He said witnesses at the man's home had helped officers identify the alleged offenders, but no arrests had been made.
"The information we have from doctors is that the injuries to his spine are significant and it'll be some time before they can fully determine what recovery looks like for him," Supintendent Jackson said.
"We are canvassing CCTV footage to identify their (the alleged offenders) mode of travel to the address and our investigations will continue."
A Princess Alexandra Hospital spokesperson said the injured man was in a stable condition.
Police are rarely involved in online sales disputes, unless a crime has been committed.
Photo:
ABC News: Lucas Hill
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission states that most consumer guarantees do not apply to private sales between two people.
That means getting a refund can be difficult, if the buyer and seller disagree.
Superintendent Jackson said while disputes over private sales appeared to be more frequent with the popularity of online selling platforms, disagreements over the sales of second-hand goods were a long-standing issue.
"We're probably more aware of these sorts of things happening because they are reported more now than they were in the days of the Trading Post," he said.
"However, to use violence against someone, there's never justification for that.
"That's where police will step in and take appropriate action."
He advised buyers and sellers to put "safety measures in place when engaging in online sales."
"Have someone else with you if you're buying or selling something," he said.
"If at all possible, meet in a generic, public location when you're selling something just to protect your home address."
-ABC
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