Man accused of ‘cowardly’ New Year attack seeks bail
Rex Martinich
A young man who allegedly threw a “cowardly punch” that left a victim in a coma and bleeding in the early hours of New Year’s Day has been refused bail.
Jairlan Victor Bruce Simpson, 20, applied for bail in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Thursday after allegedly assaulting a 44-year-old man in a Gold Coast shopping center car park at 4.25am on January 1.
Judge Paul Freeburn heard Simpson was waiting for an Uber home at Pacific Fair after celebrating New Year’s Eve and encountered the alleged victim.
“ [alleged victim] He approached his girlfriend and his aunt, made derogatory comments to them and then went to the bus stop,” defense lawyer John Cook said.
“[Simpson] follows and there is a short conversation. [alleged victim] “He goes to leave and then gets shot in the back.”
Cook said Simpson had been charged with serious crimes but had no criminal record and had not been offered a job as a plumber’s apprentice if released on bail.
“This is against the background of some provocation. This is not a defense to the charge of causing grievous bodily harm. It was a massive overreaction,” he said.
Simpson was also charged with attempted robbery for allegedly going through the victim’s pockets.
Freeburn was played footage from CCTV cameras in the car park showing Simpson riding an e-bike towards the alleged victim as he sat at a bus stop.
In the video, Simpson can be seen walking on the road in front of the bus stop when the man walks up behind him and punches him in the head.
The alleged victim falls face down on the ground and begins bleeding from his head.
Simpson is allegedly seen turning towards the man, rolling him over and shaking him by grabbing his arms, causing his head to shake and rolling over lifeless, after which he is left face down in a pool of blood.
The man was discovered by others about 30 minutes later.
According to what Freeburn heard, he was hospitalized and put in a coma for a while.
Crown prosecutor Dan Cuschieri said Simpson’s crime could only be described as “cowardly and callous, with no regard for the victim”.
Witnesses said Simpson appeared calm after the alleged attack and told them the man was “asleep.”
“He committed a very terrible act, but he is cool, calm and collected,” Cuschieri said.
“He only returned to check if something more sinister had happened. He made no attempt to seek help.”
Simpson was on bail in NSW at the time as he was charged with assault causing bodily harm in June 2025.
Freeburn refused Simpson bail, saying he posed an unacceptable risk of committing a crime or endangering community safety.
“This is described as a one-punch incident or a cowardly punch incident,” Freeburn said.
“ [alleged victim] He was walking away. “His hands were down and unprotected.”
AAP
