Ariik Mayot, aged 28, has pleaded guilty in the Queensland District Court to multiple counts of serious assault against a public officer, as well as assault occasioning bodily harm to a fellow prisoner. This comes after Mayot was previously sentenced to a maximum of six years in 2017 for unlawfully striking and causing the death of 54-year-old Lindsay Ede in Ipswich, located southwest of Brisbane. Notably, he was the first individual charged under Queensland’s “one-punch” laws, enacted in 2014 in response to a series of violent incidents resulting in serious injuries and fatalities from single punches.
During today’s hearing, Judge Gregory Lynham cautioned Mayot about the path his life is taking, suggesting that if he does not change his behaviour, he risks wasting his potential. The judge remarked on Mayot’s apparent inability to learn from his past actions, highlighting the seriousness of his continued violent conduct.
The court was informed that Mayot had assaulted a security guard at Mater Hospital in South Brisbane on January 21, 2023, by punching him and applying a headlock, which resulted in the guard needing physiotherapy for a neck injury. Mayot’s defence attorney, Elise Sargent, explained that he was visiting the emergency room due to concerns of drug-induced psychosis after consuming methamphetamine prior to the incidents.
Additionally, the judge addressed another serious offence where Mayot attacked a fellow inmate in a prison exercise yard on June 23, 2024. The crown prosecutor provided a disturbing account of this incident, which included Mayot punching the prisoner multiple times, kneeing him until he fell, and subsequently kicking him unconscious, resulting in various injuries.
Sargent described Mayot’s journey to Australia at the age of six as a refugee from Sudan, highlighting that he has since become an Australian citizen. She pointed out his ability to refrain from violent offences during certain periods, expressing hope that he can address his behavioural issues.
In this instance, Mayot received a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment but was granted immediate parole due to having already served seven months in custody. However, Sargent noted that Mayot would remain incarcerated until next week as he awaits sentencing for an additional, unrelated offence.