One-punch law Queensland : The first individual charged under Queensland’s landmark “one-punch” laws for a fatal assault has now received an additional prison sentence for multiple serious attacks.
Ariik Mayot, 28, pleaded guilty in the Queensland District Court today to two counts of serious assault on a public officer and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm to a fellow prisoner.
Mayot was previously sentenced to a maximum of six years in 2017 after unlawfully striking and causing the death of 54-year-old grandfather Lindsay Ede in Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane.
One-Punch Law” Offender Ariik Mayot Sentenced Again for Brutal Attacks
He admitted to the offence and became the first person charged under Queensland’s one-punch” laws.
The landmark legislation, introduced in 2014, followed a surge in violent incidents and fatalities caused by single punches.
Judge Gregory Lynham warned Mayot today that if he continued down the path of violence, he risked throwing away the rest of his life.
The behaviour that has brought you back to court today indicates you’re not learning very quickly,” Judge Lynham remarked.
You’re still a relatively young man. But if you continue down this path, one day you’ll look back as an old man and realise you wasted your life simply because you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself.
The court heard that on January 21, 2023, at the Mater Hospital in South Brisbane, Mayot punched a security guard and placed him in a headlock, then resisted another officer who tried to intervene.
The assaulted guard later required physiotherapy to treat a neck strain.
Repeat Offences Include Assaults on Security Guard and Fellow Prisoner; Judge Warns of Wasted Life
Defense barrister Elise Sargent told the court that Mayot had gone to the hospital’s emergency department before the assaults, believing he was experiencing drug-induced psychosis from methamphetamine use.
Judge Gregory Lynham noted that hospital security staff already have challenging roles and should not have to deal with violent behavior from drug-affected individuals.
The assault on the prisoner is, in my view, the most serious offence,” Judge Lynham said. “You kicked him while he was in a vulnerable state and inflicted significant injuries.
The court heard that on June 23, 2024, while serving time for an unrelated offence, Mayot assaulted a fellow inmate in the prison’s exercise yard. According to the crown prosecutor, the victim endured a “confronting experience” during the unprovoked attack.
Mayot punched the prisoner multiple times in the head, face, and torso, slammed him into a wall, kneed him until he fell, and then kicked him unconscious,” the prosecutor said.
The victim sustained several injuries, including swelling, muscle spasms, a chipped front tooth, a cut inside his cheek, and a fractured jaw.
Sargent explained that Mayot had arrived in Australia from Sudan as a refugee at the age of six and is now an Australian citizen.
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His record shows there have been periods when he has not committed violent offences,” she said. “There is still hope for him—he is focused and determined to address his issues.
Judge Lynham sentenced Mayot to 18 months in prison, with immediate parole eligibility due to the seven months he has already served in custody.
However, Sargent noted that Mayot will remain in custody until next week, as he is awaiting sentencing for a separate matter.
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