A Perth man who severed a workmate’s leg when he mowed him down with his ute, before viciously attacking him with a hammer, has been jailed.<\/p>\n
A court has heard Matthew William Lawson was under the influence of meth and had not slept for a week when he ran over Trae Black in City Beach in July last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Black lost his right leg below the knee and suffered a fractured pelvis during the violent incident, which happened in broad daylight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lawson then got out of his car and hit Mr Black repeatedly with a demolition hammer, fracturing his skull as well as causing other horrific injuries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The details of the frenzied attack were heard in the Supreme Court in Perth on Tuesday during Lawson’s sentencing hearing, where the 26-year-old was jailed for 14 years for attempted murder.<\/p>\n
Th court also heard details of the enormous physical, financial and emotional toll the attack had on the victim, who still suffers from nightmares and flashbacks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Drug induced psychosis<\/p>\n
Justice Natalie Whitby accepted he was experiencing “drug induced psychosis” but said he had taken the methylamphetamine voluntarily and illicit drug use was dangerous.<\/p>\n
An Auslan interpreter stood at the front of the court, relaying proceedings for Lawson, who is partially deaf without a hearing aid.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lawson mowed down Trae Black with his four wheel drive. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
The court heard Lawson and the victim had used methylamphetamine together, and on the evening before the attack, messaged him to say he had not been getting much sleep.<\/p>\n
The next morning, at the Balcatta demolition company where both men worked, Lawson told Mr Black he had not slept for a week, because of the drug use.<\/p>\n
Lawson then went to work at Scarborough while Mr Black went to City Beach.<\/p>\n
But after a few hours, Lawson told a workmate he had to “get out of here” and “sort out a guy” who had given him “something wrong”.<\/p>\n
‘I’m going to take him down’<\/p>\n
Lawson caught an Uber to Balcatta and asked where Mr Black was, telling a foreman “I’m going to take him down with me” and to tell his mum he was a “good worker”.<\/p>\n
He drove out to City Beach and when he found Mr Black, he swung a demolition hammer at his head.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court heard that the victim ran towards the beach and hid in bushland, while Lawson drove around looking for him, repeatedly driving on the same stretch of road.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Police closed a large part of West Coast Highway after the incident. (ABC News: Herlyn Kaur)<\/p>\n
When Mr Black thought Lawson had left, he emerged and walked along West Coast Highway.<\/p>\n
But Lawson saw Mr Black and drove at him, up an embankment, striking him and completely severing his right leg below the knee.<\/p>\n
The court heard Lawson was “laughing sadistically” when he got out of the vehicle and hit Mr Black with the demolition hammer multiple times, fracturing his skull, and injuring his jaw, cheek and an eye socket.<\/p>\n
Lawson then walked into the ocean before being arrested.<\/p>\n
Police told him he was being held under suspicion of assault and Lawson responded: “Nah, murder”.<\/p>\n
He was then told it was grievous bodily harm and Lawson’s response was: “Isn’t he dead? If he’s not dead, I’m going to go back and kill him.”<\/p>\n
“I’m going to finish him,” he told police.<\/p>\n
Lawson had admitted using methylamphetamine and drinking a bottle of whiskey, and claimed he thought the drugs were going to kill him.<\/p>\n
Huge toll on victim<\/p>\n
Mr Black was in a coma for 11 days, suffering bleeding on the brain.<\/p>\n
In a victim impact statement read out by the prosecutor, Mr Black said the attack had changed his life.<\/p>\n
He said he now had a prosthetic leg, which made walking slow and difficult, and the cost of rehabilitation was going to be significant and long term.<\/p>\n
Mr Black said he continued to suffer nightmares and flashbacks, had lost confidence, and felt sadness, anger, grief and frustration.<\/p>\n
He was worried about the long-term impact of his brain injury, and was concerned that he may not be able to provide for himself, and his partner.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Trae Black says the attack has had a huge toll on him. (ABC News: David Weber)<\/p>\n
Speaking outside court, Mr Black said that while it had been difficult to hear the details of the attack in court, he was “doing alright”.<\/p>\n
Mr Black said he felt lucky to have survived, and was thankful to those that helped him on the day.<\/p>\n
“I’m still in contact with one of them, we’re going to do a marathon together soon, which will be good.”<\/p>\n
He said he was trying to stay positive.<\/p>\n
“Having one leg is really hard, doing everything, just daily things I could do before, it’s really hard, just stuff at home.<\/p>\n
“Everything’s just a lot more challenging.”<\/p>\n
He also hoped the attack would send a strong message about drug use and violence, which was happening around the country.<\/p>\n
Mental impairment<\/p>\n
Lawson’s lawyer David McCallum said he could not submit anything to put a “gloss” on the events.<\/p>\n
He said his client was experiencing an “acute paranoid psychotic episode”, a form of mental impairment.<\/p>\n
Justice Whitby said Lawson had used drugs for several years, including marijuana, ketamine, and MDMA.<\/p>\n
Leading up to the assault, he’d been spending $250 a day on methamphetamine.<\/p>\n
Justice Whitby said Mr Black was “very vulnerable” as he lay on the ground after being hit by the vehicle, while acknowledging the “brave” people who had helped him on the day.<\/p>\n
While Justice Whitby accepted he was suffering from a psychotic episode, she said Lawson’s offending was extremely serious and he had a history of violent offending.<\/p>\n
Lawson nodded when Justice Whitby said he must serve at least 12 years behind bars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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