DEAN McDougall was in the midst of a significant mental health episode, behaving erratically and ranting tangentially about strange subjects before he showed up outside his ex-partner's house at Singleton on a night in May last year. A short time later, after his ex had gone inside to call the police, McDougall drove directly at his ex's step-father, crashing his car into a telegraph pole and leaving the 51-year-old with a horrific compound fracture of his right leg.
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"Oh, so what's happened there, got yourself a boo-boo have ya?" McDougall asked his ex's step-father after getting out of the car, according to an agreed statement of facts. When the victim told McDougall "you've broken my leg", McDougall replied: "no that is just a flesh wound."
McDougall's ex and her step-father had been so wary of him and his bizarre behaviour on May 28 last year that the 51-year-old had armed himself with a broom handle in case McDougall suddenly appeared. And when he did, the 51-year-old man repeatedly told McDougall he was not going inside and urged him to leave.
A few minutes later, after McDougall had ranted about money, the man's beanie and briefly got into the 51-year-old's car, he returned to his own car and accelerated into him and the power pole.
With the victim badly injured with bones protruding through his leg, McDougall then went into his ex's home. Once inside, McDougall's bizarre behaviour continued, he intimidated and yelled at his partner, who repeatedly told him to leave, as well as asking her: "where's that dress so we can get married tomorrow?" McDougall left and was arrested about 200 metres away.
While in custody at Singleton police station, McDougall made more unusual comments to a police officer, telling the detective: "I'm just a rapper, bro".
At some point, McDougall asked to be allowed out of his cell to go to the toilet. But after leaving the cubicle he made an attempt to escape, picking up a work boot and striking the custody sergeant in the head before sprinting for the exit. He was quickly arrested by police.
McDougall gave a rambling interview to police, during which, among many things, he told police: "I f---ing s-- myself... and I ran someone over for the first time." McDougall appeared on screen via audio visual link from jail this week and pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and intimidation.
A number of other offences will be taken into account when he is sentenced in Newcastle District Court.
