Latest news with #NewcastleLocalCourt
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- The Advertiser
Rogue Scholar attacker pleads guilty to headbutting woman in shocking assault
A QUEENSLAND builder, who headbutted, punched and slapped a woman in a Newcastle bar in a shocking attack that triggered widespread outrage and led to the formation of a rally against gendered violence, has pleaded guilty. Douglas William Kelvin Wood, 43, of Ipswich, was represented by solicitor Chris Watsford and excused from attending Newcastle Local Court during a mention of his matter on Thursday afternoon. Wood pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the attack on Britt Mitchell at the Rogue Scholar on March 15 after prosecutors agreed to withdraw a charge of affray. He will be sentenced in September. The Newcastle Herald reported last month that Wood was out with workmates celebrating the completion of a major project and was dancing wildly on the dance floor of the Newcastle West bar about 11.15pm when he suddenly slapped Ms Mitchell across the face. Wood turned to walk away and continue dancing when Ms Mitchell grabbed him and said: "What the f--- did you do that for? "You just hit me, you knocked my glasses off my face", according to court documents. But after being confronted, 43-year-old Wood laughed and said, "what are you going to do about it?" The pair exchanged further words before Wood removed the sunglasses from the top of his head and headbutted Ms Mitchell in the face. Bleeding profusely from her nose, Ms Mitchell threw a drink in her attacker's face and then left the dance floor. She sat at the bar and asked staff for a cloth for her nose, but police said Wood had followed her. He grabbed her by the shirt and punched her in the back of the head. When people rushed in to intervene and pull Wood away, he kept hold of Ms Mitchell's shirt and almost completely ripped it from her body in the melee. Eventually, to get away from her attacker, Ms Mitchell managed to get out of the shirt, leaving her in the venue in only her bra. The attack left Ms Mitchell with a broken nose. She went to Newcastle police station to make a statement, and police later obtained CCTV footage from inside the venue that they say captures the entire incident from multiple angles. Police say they identified the attacker as Wood, but by then, he had returned to Queensland. He was charged a few weeks later and appeared in court for the first time last month. The assault triggered public outrage and prompted Ms Mitchell and her partner, Hayley Goldie, to organise a rally labelled "Enough is Enough", to raise awareness of and support for victims of gendered violence. A QUEENSLAND builder, who headbutted, punched and slapped a woman in a Newcastle bar in a shocking attack that triggered widespread outrage and led to the formation of a rally against gendered violence, has pleaded guilty. Douglas William Kelvin Wood, 43, of Ipswich, was represented by solicitor Chris Watsford and excused from attending Newcastle Local Court during a mention of his matter on Thursday afternoon. Wood pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the attack on Britt Mitchell at the Rogue Scholar on March 15 after prosecutors agreed to withdraw a charge of affray. He will be sentenced in September. The Newcastle Herald reported last month that Wood was out with workmates celebrating the completion of a major project and was dancing wildly on the dance floor of the Newcastle West bar about 11.15pm when he suddenly slapped Ms Mitchell across the face. Wood turned to walk away and continue dancing when Ms Mitchell grabbed him and said: "What the f--- did you do that for? "You just hit me, you knocked my glasses off my face", according to court documents. But after being confronted, 43-year-old Wood laughed and said, "what are you going to do about it?" The pair exchanged further words before Wood removed the sunglasses from the top of his head and headbutted Ms Mitchell in the face. Bleeding profusely from her nose, Ms Mitchell threw a drink in her attacker's face and then left the dance floor. She sat at the bar and asked staff for a cloth for her nose, but police said Wood had followed her. He grabbed her by the shirt and punched her in the back of the head. When people rushed in to intervene and pull Wood away, he kept hold of Ms Mitchell's shirt and almost completely ripped it from her body in the melee. Eventually, to get away from her attacker, Ms Mitchell managed to get out of the shirt, leaving her in the venue in only her bra. The attack left Ms Mitchell with a broken nose. She went to Newcastle police station to make a statement, and police later obtained CCTV footage from inside the venue that they say captures the entire incident from multiple angles. Police say they identified the attacker as Wood, but by then, he had returned to Queensland. He was charged a few weeks later and appeared in court for the first time last month. The assault triggered public outrage and prompted Ms Mitchell and her partner, Hayley Goldie, to organise a rally labelled "Enough is Enough", to raise awareness of and support for victims of gendered violence. A QUEENSLAND builder, who headbutted, punched and slapped a woman in a Newcastle bar in a shocking attack that triggered widespread outrage and led to the formation of a rally against gendered violence, has pleaded guilty. Douglas William Kelvin Wood, 43, of Ipswich, was represented by solicitor Chris Watsford and excused from attending Newcastle Local Court during a mention of his matter on Thursday afternoon. Wood pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the attack on Britt Mitchell at the Rogue Scholar on March 15 after prosecutors agreed to withdraw a charge of affray. He will be sentenced in September. The Newcastle Herald reported last month that Wood was out with workmates celebrating the completion of a major project and was dancing wildly on the dance floor of the Newcastle West bar about 11.15pm when he suddenly slapped Ms Mitchell across the face. Wood turned to walk away and continue dancing when Ms Mitchell grabbed him and said: "What the f--- did you do that for? "You just hit me, you knocked my glasses off my face", according to court documents. But after being confronted, 43-year-old Wood laughed and said, "what are you going to do about it?" The pair exchanged further words before Wood removed the sunglasses from the top of his head and headbutted Ms Mitchell in the face. Bleeding profusely from her nose, Ms Mitchell threw a drink in her attacker's face and then left the dance floor. She sat at the bar and asked staff for a cloth for her nose, but police said Wood had followed her. He grabbed her by the shirt and punched her in the back of the head. When people rushed in to intervene and pull Wood away, he kept hold of Ms Mitchell's shirt and almost completely ripped it from her body in the melee. Eventually, to get away from her attacker, Ms Mitchell managed to get out of the shirt, leaving her in the venue in only her bra. The attack left Ms Mitchell with a broken nose. She went to Newcastle police station to make a statement, and police later obtained CCTV footage from inside the venue that they say captures the entire incident from multiple angles. Police say they identified the attacker as Wood, but by then, he had returned to Queensland. He was charged a few weeks later and appeared in court for the first time last month. The assault triggered public outrage and prompted Ms Mitchell and her partner, Hayley Goldie, to organise a rally labelled "Enough is Enough", to raise awareness of and support for victims of gendered violence. A QUEENSLAND builder, who headbutted, punched and slapped a woman in a Newcastle bar in a shocking attack that triggered widespread outrage and led to the formation of a rally against gendered violence, has pleaded guilty. Douglas William Kelvin Wood, 43, of Ipswich, was represented by solicitor Chris Watsford and excused from attending Newcastle Local Court during a mention of his matter on Thursday afternoon. Wood pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the attack on Britt Mitchell at the Rogue Scholar on March 15 after prosecutors agreed to withdraw a charge of affray. He will be sentenced in September. The Newcastle Herald reported last month that Wood was out with workmates celebrating the completion of a major project and was dancing wildly on the dance floor of the Newcastle West bar about 11.15pm when he suddenly slapped Ms Mitchell across the face. Wood turned to walk away and continue dancing when Ms Mitchell grabbed him and said: "What the f--- did you do that for? "You just hit me, you knocked my glasses off my face", according to court documents. But after being confronted, 43-year-old Wood laughed and said, "what are you going to do about it?" The pair exchanged further words before Wood removed the sunglasses from the top of his head and headbutted Ms Mitchell in the face. Bleeding profusely from her nose, Ms Mitchell threw a drink in her attacker's face and then left the dance floor. She sat at the bar and asked staff for a cloth for her nose, but police said Wood had followed her. He grabbed her by the shirt and punched her in the back of the head. When people rushed in to intervene and pull Wood away, he kept hold of Ms Mitchell's shirt and almost completely ripped it from her body in the melee. Eventually, to get away from her attacker, Ms Mitchell managed to get out of the shirt, leaving her in the venue in only her bra. The attack left Ms Mitchell with a broken nose. She went to Newcastle police station to make a statement, and police later obtained CCTV footage from inside the venue that they say captures the entire incident from multiple angles. Police say they identified the attacker as Wood, but by then, he had returned to Queensland. He was charged a few weeks later and appeared in court for the first time last month. The assault triggered public outrage and prompted Ms Mitchell and her partner, Hayley Goldie, to organise a rally labelled "Enough is Enough", to raise awareness of and support for victims of gendered violence.
The Advertiser
27-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Convicted killer back behind bars for choking woman unconscious
A CONVICTED killer who stabbed a fellow abattoir worker 49 times at a unit in Scone in 2018 is back behind bars after choking a woman unconscious. Jamie Cust, now 27, was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter in 2021 after a jury accepted he was acting in response to "extreme provocation" when he brutally stabbed his "mentor" at JBS Meatworks, 41-year-old Filipino national Jesus Bebita, in a unit in Parker Street on the night of December 17, 2018. Cust had never denied stabbing Mr Bebita, but claimed after a night of drinking together, he awoke to Mr Bebita sexually assaulting him and "freaked out", losing self-control and repeatedly stabbing his colleague in the bedroom before chasing him down the hall as Mr Bebita desperately tried to escape. He then attempted to burn the unit down. Cust was later jailed for a maximum of six years, with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years after a judge found he was provoked and lost control after being the victim of a "serious act of sexual violence". Cust was released on parole in 2023 and began an on-again, off-again relationship with the victim a short time later. In December last year, the pair were at a home at Mayfield when Cust shoved the victim down onto the bed and began choking her, using two hands around her neck until she lost consciousness. Cust was two days away from finishing his parole period for killing Mr Bebita and was taken back behind bars after his arrest. He pleaded not guilty to intentionally choke person with recklessness and common assault and was represented by solicitor Donna Smith when he faced a hearing in Newcastle Local Court in April that ended with Magistrate John Chicken finding him guilty of both charges. Cust was late last week jailed for a maximum of two years, with a non-parole period of 14 months, making him eligible for parole in February, 2026. A CONVICTED killer who stabbed a fellow abattoir worker 49 times at a unit in Scone in 2018 is back behind bars after choking a woman unconscious. Jamie Cust, now 27, was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter in 2021 after a jury accepted he was acting in response to "extreme provocation" when he brutally stabbed his "mentor" at JBS Meatworks, 41-year-old Filipino national Jesus Bebita, in a unit in Parker Street on the night of December 17, 2018. Cust had never denied stabbing Mr Bebita, but claimed after a night of drinking together, he awoke to Mr Bebita sexually assaulting him and "freaked out", losing self-control and repeatedly stabbing his colleague in the bedroom before chasing him down the hall as Mr Bebita desperately tried to escape. He then attempted to burn the unit down. Cust was later jailed for a maximum of six years, with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years after a judge found he was provoked and lost control after being the victim of a "serious act of sexual violence". Cust was released on parole in 2023 and began an on-again, off-again relationship with the victim a short time later. In December last year, the pair were at a home at Mayfield when Cust shoved the victim down onto the bed and began choking her, using two hands around her neck until she lost consciousness. Cust was two days away from finishing his parole period for killing Mr Bebita and was taken back behind bars after his arrest. He pleaded not guilty to intentionally choke person with recklessness and common assault and was represented by solicitor Donna Smith when he faced a hearing in Newcastle Local Court in April that ended with Magistrate John Chicken finding him guilty of both charges. Cust was late last week jailed for a maximum of two years, with a non-parole period of 14 months, making him eligible for parole in February, 2026. A CONVICTED killer who stabbed a fellow abattoir worker 49 times at a unit in Scone in 2018 is back behind bars after choking a woman unconscious. Jamie Cust, now 27, was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter in 2021 after a jury accepted he was acting in response to "extreme provocation" when he brutally stabbed his "mentor" at JBS Meatworks, 41-year-old Filipino national Jesus Bebita, in a unit in Parker Street on the night of December 17, 2018. Cust had never denied stabbing Mr Bebita, but claimed after a night of drinking together, he awoke to Mr Bebita sexually assaulting him and "freaked out", losing self-control and repeatedly stabbing his colleague in the bedroom before chasing him down the hall as Mr Bebita desperately tried to escape. He then attempted to burn the unit down. Cust was later jailed for a maximum of six years, with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years after a judge found he was provoked and lost control after being the victim of a "serious act of sexual violence". Cust was released on parole in 2023 and began an on-again, off-again relationship with the victim a short time later. In December last year, the pair were at a home at Mayfield when Cust shoved the victim down onto the bed and began choking her, using two hands around her neck until she lost consciousness. Cust was two days away from finishing his parole period for killing Mr Bebita and was taken back behind bars after his arrest. He pleaded not guilty to intentionally choke person with recklessness and common assault and was represented by solicitor Donna Smith when he faced a hearing in Newcastle Local Court in April that ended with Magistrate John Chicken finding him guilty of both charges. Cust was late last week jailed for a maximum of two years, with a non-parole period of 14 months, making him eligible for parole in February, 2026. A CONVICTED killer who stabbed a fellow abattoir worker 49 times at a unit in Scone in 2018 is back behind bars after choking a woman unconscious. Jamie Cust, now 27, was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter in 2021 after a jury accepted he was acting in response to "extreme provocation" when he brutally stabbed his "mentor" at JBS Meatworks, 41-year-old Filipino national Jesus Bebita, in a unit in Parker Street on the night of December 17, 2018. Cust had never denied stabbing Mr Bebita, but claimed after a night of drinking together, he awoke to Mr Bebita sexually assaulting him and "freaked out", losing self-control and repeatedly stabbing his colleague in the bedroom before chasing him down the hall as Mr Bebita desperately tried to escape. He then attempted to burn the unit down. Cust was later jailed for a maximum of six years, with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years after a judge found he was provoked and lost control after being the victim of a "serious act of sexual violence". Cust was released on parole in 2023 and began an on-again, off-again relationship with the victim a short time later. In December last year, the pair were at a home at Mayfield when Cust shoved the victim down onto the bed and began choking her, using two hands around her neck until she lost consciousness. Cust was two days away from finishing his parole period for killing Mr Bebita and was taken back behind bars after his arrest. He pleaded not guilty to intentionally choke person with recklessness and common assault and was represented by solicitor Donna Smith when he faced a hearing in Newcastle Local Court in April that ended with Magistrate John Chicken finding him guilty of both charges. Cust was late last week jailed for a maximum of two years, with a non-parole period of 14 months, making him eligible for parole in February, 2026.
