A disability pensioner was at risk of serious injury or even death when he was subjected to "ultra violence" during a "racially charged" attempted theft, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Christopher Stewart Wallace, 28, fronted sentencing in the ACT Magistrates on Friday after he pleaded guilty to attempted robbery.
Wallace was also charged of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentional threat to kill another person and choking, which were all withdrawn during sentencing.
Statement of facts tendered to the court said Wallace was yelling in the stairwell of public housing block Condamine Court at Turner during several hours on January 31 this year.
About four hours after Wallace started yelling, the victim asked Wallace's partner at the time to ask him to leave.
Wallace heard and swore at the victim and demanded he apologised before telling the victim: "Jackie Chan, I will kill you".
He yelled out to his partner to "bring me a knife and I will kill him."
Wallace then searched the victim to try to steal his belongings, including demanding the victim hand over his wallet.
He then grabbed him by the throat, tried to break his glasses and continued searching for a wallet but failed to find one.
A witness called triple zero and said he saw Wallace kicking the victim.
I can't sleep anymore, I have nightmares. It has also affected my memories...things are no longer clear and sharp as before.
- Victim
On Friday, the court heard the victim sustained injuries to his forehead, nose and neck.
In his victim impact statement, read by Prosecutor Bwalya Chifuntwe, he said he moved to Canberra thinking "it's a safe place but now I have lost trust in the people".
"I can't sleep anymore, I have nightmares. It has also affected my memories...things are no longer clear and sharp as before," the statement reads.
"I feel insecure and unsafe."
The impact statement also reads that the victim's son no longer lives with him and that he had not be able to return to work.
In his sentencing remarks, magistrate James Stewart said the offending involved "ultra violence" that was aggravated by Wallace already being on suspended sentences for previous offending.
"It involved a sustained attack on a man who was clearly unable to defend himself," Mr Stewart said.
"The victim no doubt would have been terrified. There was no need for this attack.
"What you did was unacceptable and you have to be punished for it. Hopefully this is the last time the court sees you."
Magistrate Stewart sentenced Wallace to 12 months jail to be suspended after seven months.
The term was backdated to January to account for his pre-sentence custody.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
