Man found guilty after pushing pub patron down stairs, causing skull fractures
Mark Andrew Hodgkin was found guilty of recklessly injuring Neil Breen by pushing him down pub stairs.
A Wodonga court heard that Mark Andrew Hodgkin, 47, pushed Neil Breen down a flight of stairs at the Huon Hill Hotel on November 29, 2024. Breen landed on the pavement and fractured his skull.
A witness said she saw him flying through the air like Superman, followed by an almighty crack. The court viewed video of the push, and a witness told the court the offender put his hands on the victim's chest before the push.
Breen suffered three skull fractures, brain bleeds, brain swelling and hearing loss. He was knocked unconscious and woke hours later in hospital.
Breen took seven weeks off work and lost hearing in one ear, which has returned to about 70 per cent. Hodgkin was found guilty of recklessly causing injury and sentenced to 200 hours of community work.
- November 29, 2024
- Date of incident
- Huon Hill Hotel, Wodonga
- Location
- Mark Andrew Hodgkin, 47
- Defendant's age
- 200 hours community work over two years
- Sentence imposed
Why it mattersThe verdict holds a defendant accountable for serious violence and shows courts take such injuries seriously, even when the incident happens quickly.
AustraliaThe case was heard in Wodonga, Victoria, and reinforces assault laws in Australian pubs and venues where alcohol is served.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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