Brake line cut on 4WD

A FEUD between two Tweed Heads brothers could have turned deadly when Justin Bolton lost control of his 4WD on a hill in Murwillumbah after his Jackaroo’s brake line was cut.

The ill-feeling between victim Justin and his estranged brother Jamie Bolton, 33, was revealed in Lismore Local Court yesterday when a friend of Jamie’s, Dale Skinner, 53, of Wooyung, pleaded guilty to recklessly destroying property with intent to cause injury by cutting the brake line of the 4WD at 11.30 pm on January 10.

The prosecutor revealed Jamie Bolton would be giving evidence for the Crown against Skinner. He said Jamie Bolton was in the process of appealing a jail sentence for his role in the case after earlier pleading guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court to concealing a serious offence. That appeal is yet to be heard.

The prosecutor said Jamie Bolton had received a 40pc discount on sentence.

Magistrate Robyn Denes said it was an unusual charge and ‘clearly the consequences could have been very serious’.

Defence lawyer Laura Fennell said Skinner had little recollection of the events but accepted the evidence of witnesses.

Police facts state Skinner was with Jamie Bolton when it was suggested they let down a tyre of Justin Bolton’s Jackaroo parked on a hill outside his Hartigan St. home.

When Skinner returned to the car he showed Jamie and another man a scalpel saying: ‘I’ve just snipped your brother’s brake line’.

The next morning at 6am Justin Bolton began to drive his 4WD down the hill when he realised it had no brakes. He quickly pulled on the handbrake and steered his Jackaroo to a stop.

Ms Denes adjourned the matter for sentence to October 19.