A man is facing major charges in relation to injuries and the subsequent death of another man, after an altercation at the Lighthouse Hotel on Tuesday (20 June).
According to reports, 38-year-old father Matthew James Hayes was behaving inappropriately and “causing a disturbance”, which came to involve a woman at the hotel – the girlfriend of the brother of 27-year-old Burnett Heads man Mitchell Kieran Joyce.
Around 8:30pm, out front of the hotel, it’s said Joyce charged and shoved Hayes, who fell and hit his head on the bitumen. Witnesses told police they heard the thud from some distance away.
Hayes did not move for some time, but was later able to stand and get on a stretcher when emergency services arrived, soon after. His daughter was also at the hotel and is believed to have witnessed the event.
He was transported to Bundaberg Hospital, where it was determined he had a skull fracture and bleed on the brain. He was then airlifted to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
The man’s condition continued to deteriorate and the hospital updated police that his life support would be turned off on Friday morning, after which he subsequently passed away, that night.
Joyce was charged with grievous bodily harm over the alleged altercation. He appeared before Bundaberg Magistrates Court for a bail application on Friday, before Hayes expired.
Police prosecutor Leon Casey opposed allowing bail, citing the serious nature of the offence and that charges would be upgraded if the victim did die as a result of his injuries.
It was noted that Joyce had previously breached bail conditions, in 2018, and had failed to appear before court over numerous prior offences. His defence offered that Joyce’s mother and brother would be helping support him and make sure he met bail conditions, which would include reporting to police three times each week.
Assessing the application, Magistrate John McInnes pointed out that the defendant was already on a probation order and suspended sentence at the time of the offence, and relayed that he had only recently been released from prison, after serving nine months for attempted child abduction.
McInnes also suggested the case was a serious example of grievous bodily harm, for which “even a first offender” would likely see jail time.
Bail was refused, on the basis that he represented an unacceptable risk – of failing to appear, or even committing further offences.
“Mr Joyce has a multi-page criminal record with previous sentences both for property offences and for some offences involving violence including assaults.”
Joyce remained in custody, due to appear before the court again 8 August. A spokesperson for Queensland Police Service said the charges have not as yet been upgraded, following Hayes’ death.
