A father who was filmed allegedly threatening to 'knock out' an amputee motorcyclist now faces up to three years in prison after his charges were upgraded. The 46-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was captured on bodycam footage outside a Hungry Jacks in Mackay, North Queensland, allegedly hurling abuse at the motorcyclist for parking too close to his vehicle.
He initially faced Mackay Magistrates Court on one count of threatening violence against Shane Kapitzke, but on Wednesday the charge was replaced with common assault, the Daily Mercury reported. Under Australian law, a charge of assault does not necessarily require physical contact or bodily harm.
The man's 17-year-old son was also charged with the same offence and is set to face Mackay Childrens Court. A viral eight-minute clip of the incident shows the father walking toward Mr Kapitzke with clenched fists, shouting, 'I'll f***ing knock you clean out c**t'. The son can be heard calling the amputee a 'fat f****t'.
The court was told the father is applying for Legal Aid and asked for the matter to be adjourned. The case highlights the severity of verbal threats and abuse, with the upgraded charge reflecting the serious nature of the alleged behaviour.
