A MAN who repeatedly struck his 60-year-old neighbour with a metal pole after he was caught breaking into the victim’s unit at Hamilton South in May has been jailed for a maximum of two years in Newcastle Local Court.
Christopher Alabacos, also known as Christopher Brown, 35, was represented by solicitor Adrian Kiely when he appeared in court on Thursday for sentence after pleading guilty to reckless wounding, affray and break and enter.
A balaclava in his hand, Alabacos told people in the Neil Terrace units that he was “going to do a run in on old [victim’s name]” in the days before he forced his way into the victim’s unit and stole cash and a phone.
Another resident saw Alabacos leaving the unit and called out to the victim, who went inside and saw his property was missing.
He looked outside and saw Alabacos and Aiden James Ellison before arming himself with a metal pole and walking out to the courtyard.
Alabacos – also armed with a pole – rushed towards the victim, who raised his pole in a baseball stance. But as Alabacos continued towards him, the victim dropped his weapon and Alabacos punched him to the ground.
At one point the victim rose to his feet and hit Alabacos with the pole, before he was mercilessly bashed with the pole and kicked in the head.
“Dog scum, you think you’re better than me?” Alabacos yelled at the 60-year-old man. Magistrate David Price jailed Alabacos for a maximum of two years, with a non-parole period of 16 months on Thursday. He will be eligible for parole in November, 2019.
Ellison pleaded guilty to affray after the DPP withdrew more serious charges and on Wednesday was sentenced to a nine month intensive corrections order, a form of custodial sentence served in the community.
Dog scum, you think you’re better than me?
- Christopher Alabacos told the victim.
