A victim impact statement has told of the devastating effect a random act of violence had on Colin Simpson.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Stawell Magistrates Court this week heard Fiona Malloch shoved Mr Simpson to the ground, seriously injuring him.
After several adjournments, Ms Malloch reappeared at court on Tuesday.
She pleaded guilty to one charge of recklessly causing serious injury.
The case was adjourned again until February, pending assessment for a Community Corrections Order.
The court heard Ms Malloch “forcefully pushed” Mr Simpson with two hands to the chest in his own driveway on June 18.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable David Cosgriff said Mr Simpson was on his daily morning walk, about 8am, when he waved at Ms Malloch, but was met with a torrent of verbal abuse.
Leading Senior Constable Cosgriff said Mr Simpson returned to his house and Ms Malloch followed him.
Mr Simpson sustained serious injuries, including broken ribs and a gash to the head. He was taken to Stawell Hospital but was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital as his condition worsened.
Mr Simpson’s victim impact statement highlighted the difficulty he faced in the ensuing months.
Mr Simpson outlined how his quality of life had been severely depleted, believing the incident had shortened his lifespan. He also described the event making him feel like a “prisoner in (his) own home”, losing trust and confidence to go out in Stawell.
He said not being able to dance at his granddaughter’s wedding, due to the injuries he sustained, was especially difficult.
The court heard Mr Simpson was a fit man prior to the incident, regularly walking between five and six kilometres a day and spending a significant amount of time in his garden. He now requires a walking stick.
Defence lawyer Jordan O’Toole said Ms Malloch had been without antipsychotic medication at the time of the incident, having moved to Stawell two weeks prior and ran out of medication.
Mr O’Toole said the incident fell “towards the lower end of the scale” compared to other cases of the same charge.
Magistrate Mark Stratmann said the incident was “serious”, adjourning the case to await the report of a CCO assessment.
“This is serious – not just because of the consequences, but because it was an unprovoked attack,” he said.
Ms Malloch was again released on bail to reappear at Stawell Magistrates’ Court on February 26.
While you’re with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday morning from the Stawell Times-News. To make sure you’re up-to-date with all the news from across the Northern Grampians shire, sign up here.