Students witness violent attack
A CLIFTON man who reacted violently to taunts from a rival while in clear view of the students of a primary school has appeared in court over the incident.
Paul Ambrose Waters, 33, fronted Warwick Magistrates Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to three charges, including public nuisance, assault and wilful damage.
Waters and the man - with whom he had a long-running feud -crossed paths at Clifton State School on July 15 before an altercation ensued.
The court heard Waters - a father of five - chased the man out the front of the school before kicking the door of his vehicle and slamming his leg in the door in the process.
Defence counsel for Waters said the victim had attacked Waters' wife earlier by throwing her onto the ground and punching her and had also "picked on" Waters' teenage children.
On the day in question it was heard the man had taunted Waters, saying "Sucko, the cops didn't charge us because your wife is a scum bag".
The police prosecutor told the court several students ran into the school to complain to the principal that they had just seen a man assaulted and police were called.
When questioned by police Waters admitted to kicking the vehicle but said he believed the man's leg was inside of the vehicle when he did so.
During sentencing Magistrate Anne Thacker told Waters the most serious aspect of the case was that the incident occurred in front of schoolchildren.
She said the surrounding circumstances leading up to the incident were an "explanation, not a justification".
Waters was fined $600 and ordered to pay $160 restitution for the damage to the vehicle.
In other court news, a Highfields man has appeared in court after his negligent driving in foggy conditions saw him collide with another vehicle, causing it to flip onto its roof.
Zachary Casey Grant Fraser, 19, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with undue care and attention following the June 17 incident at Nobby.
It was heard Fraser was travelling to work in Allora with his boss when he failed to see a vehicle in front of him, due to the low visibility caused by the fog.
The driver of the other vehicle was taken to hospital after sustaining a cracked vertebrae and dislocated shoulder in the crash.
Fraser also sustained injuries as a result of the accident and received treatment for a fractured right hand. His passenger was unharmed.
The 19-year-old was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for three months.
