By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A man fuelled by drugs and an apparent short-man syndrome has faced court over head butting his Noble Park grandmother, stabbing his neighbour, threatening to run over the neighbour’s cat and attacking a servo customer with a squeegee.
In one of the man’s regular intervention order breaches, he swore, banged and kicked the front door of his mother and grandmother’s home on 13 October.
“If you call the police, that’s the last call you make,” the 28-year-old told them.
His grandmother opened the door and was head butted by the accused, who told both victims he wished they were dead.
Her face was bruised as a result of the assault. He claimed to have no memory of the head butt.
On 7 November, the man told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in rapid fire speech that his hostile behaviour and language was due to being “so small”.
“I try to intimidate people with my words.”
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen retorted: “You knew your grandmother wouldn’t fight back.”
The man said he needed a regular “piss test” to help overcome his drug issues.
“I took too many drugs that week,” he said to explain why he could not remember the incident.
Police informant Sergeant Mitch Clayton of Dandenong police told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 7 November that the man had been accused of “numerous” assaults and 16 reported family violence incidents against the two relatives since 2001.
According to his mother, the man – who also has significant mental health issues such as ADHD – would go on a drug bender after receiving his Centrelink payment.
“He’ll spend all of his Centrelink money and be back knocking on his mother’s door.”
A defence lawyer told the court the man did well until a community treatment order ended in June coupled with a change in medication and treatment.
“When he’s not doing well, he’s unpredictable.”
On 3 August, the man had also used a one-metre stick spiked with a sharp tool to stab his Noble Park neighbour’s head through a front screen door.
His neighbour was left with a five-centimetre long gash to his forehead.
The man, accusing the neighbour of calling the police, then threatened to burn the neighbour and said “I’d hate to have the cat run over.”
At a Noble Park petrol station on 26 June, the accused asked a man filling up his car what he was looking at, and hurled a watering can onto the other man’s hip.
The accused then lashed out at him with a squeegee.
The man used the watering can in self-defence but was struck on the hands. He evaded an energy drink can that the accused hurled at his head.
The accused took photos of the victim’s car and told him “I’ll wait for you”.
The magistrate Mr Vandersteen said that after the man had spent the past three weeks in remand, he’d be put on a therapeutic community corrections order.
“You’ve become a very threatening and scary person when you’re using drugs and not looking after your mental health.
“Anyone would call the police because they want you to stop and to feel safe.”
The accused was put on a 12-month community corrections order which includes supervision and judicial monitoring.
