A Tasmanian man who bashed another man while hiding at his ex-partner’s home has been jailed for 20 months after the attack left the victim permanently blind in one eye.
Lucas Brent Carr, 40, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to causing grievous bodily harm and to two counts of breaching a police family violence order.
The court heard the victim had previously made threats toward Carr’s current partner, saying he knew where she lived and could show up at any time.
On September 14, Carr went to his ex-partner’s house without her knowledge, believing the victim would go there and wanting to intercept him.
When the intoxicated victim arrived and mentioned having a firearm in his car, Carr confronted him.
Thinking the man was about to retrieve the weapon, Carr knocked him to the ground and punched him about 20 times to the head and upper body while wearing a ring.
The victim suffered a globe rupture, retinal detachment, a fractured nose and extensive facial bruising.
Despite surgery, the court heard he has not regained vision in his right eye.
Justice Michael Brett said that while Carr had been trying to protect his current partner, the force he used went too far.
“It was obviously a brutal attack and caused significant and perhaps permanent injury,” Justice Brett said.
“You repeatedly punched the complainant to the head while he was on the ground.”
The court accepted Carr had acted in defence of himself and his partner, but found the level of force was unreasonable.
He did not intend to cause grievous bodily harm, but was found liable due to recklessness.
Carr has a significant criminal history, including serious driving offences and multiple breaches of family violence orders.
His sentence also activated a four-month suspended term imposed in March, which he breached by reoffending.
Carr will be eligible for parole after serving 10 months behind bars, backdated to September 19.
