A teen who pleaded guilty to bashing a man at a Dee Why reserve earlier this year has been handed a three year sentence, but will be eligible for parole this December having already served his six month non-parole period by that time.
Joseph Woodward, 19, was sentenced in Manly Local Court today for a string of offences, three including violence: the bashing that left a 47-year-old Dee Why man in an induced coma, an assault on a Manly kebab shop worker later that night, and an affray in North Manly on Australia Day. The Dee Why teenager pleaded guilty to Reckless wounding in company (the Dee Why incident) and Assault occasioning bodily harm (Kebab shop incident) last month.
The Australia Day (January 26) charge had not previously been reported. According to the police fact sheet, officers approached a gathering of up to 100 youths at Nolan’s Reserve, North Manly, where fights had broken out. Many fled, but a group including Woodward kept brawling despite the police presence. Woodward punched an unidentified person in the head, taunted an officer and tried to run, but was quickly tackled by another officer. He made full admissions and was given a move-on order.
Woodward’s lawyer sought a discount of the sentence, citing the aggravated offences were not planned or premeditated, that he was under the influence at the time, and also citing his struggles with mental health. She said this was his first prison sentence and that custody had motivated him to change.
Judge Daniel Reiss told the court he was not persuaded that Woodward’s young age should weigh heavily on the sentence given his list of offences. The court heard a report assessed Woodward as being at medium to high risk of reoffending.
However, Woodward was given a non parole period of six months of a three year sentence.
Woodward has been in custody since June, when he was charged with reckless wounding in company over the 29 May assault at James Meehan Reserve, Dee Why. No other people have been charged in relation to the Dee Why assault.
Court documents state the victim left his nearby apartment just before 10pm to confront a group over loud music, an apparently recurring problem. He was struck twice in the head and beaten on the ground. A passerby found him collapsed and calling for help around 11pm.
He suffered injuries including a broken eye socket and bleeding on the brain, and was placed in a medically induced coma. He has since been readmitted to hospital twice with seizures, has been unable to return to work and remains under a neurologist’s care. Woodward’s DNA was found at the scene on items that also carried the victim’s DNA.
About 90 minutes after the Dee Why assault, Woodward walked into Manly Seaside Kebabs on The Corso, abused staff and grabbed a worker’s phone, claiming it was his. He returned half an hour later, threw pizza around the store and struck a worker who tried to escort him out, splitting the man’s lip. A scuffle followed, knocking off Woodward’s hoodie and exposing his face on CCTV. In a 7 July prison phone call obtained by police under warrant, he told a friend he had “bashed up a kebab worker for no reason.”
Woodward’s sentence included several lesser offences. On 2 March he took a Domino’s e-bike in Haymarket and set fire to its plastic delivery box, and was charged with damaging property by fire. He was also sentenced on charges in the same month of being carried in a stolen car from Allambie Heights and, that same night, using the owner’s debit card to buy almost $70 worth of goods.
Woodward today appeared from prison by video link.
Manly Observer was the only member of the public observing in the gallery to hear the decision.
Woodward has spent  four months and 17 days in custody, making him eligible for release before Christmas.
