Busselton teen, Jackson James Stokes, faces expensive consequences for drunken ‘foolish’ acts

A South West magistrate has taken the unusual step of ordering a teenager to pay thousands of dollars in fines to his victim while also assuring him he will not be defined for his “unintended” and “foolish” drunken act of knocking a woman out with a pint glass. Jackson James Stokes, 19, was ordered to pay $2000 to the woman he wounded when he was sentenced at Busselton Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Police said Stokes was in a mosh pit at Hally’s rooftop bar when he threw a pint glass to a friend, which missed and instead careened over the DJ booth and balcony to hit a woman downstairs, knocking her out and leaving her with a head wound. During sentencing, Magistrate Linda Keane made the unusual fine directive after it was made clear to her Stokes was simply acting like a “drunken idiot” rather than violent aggressor hell-bent on causing harm to others. It was revealed the teen, who has no criminal record in either the adult of juvenile justice system, immediately reported himself to security and police when he realised his actions on the night and has since completed a drug and alcohol treatment program. It was also noted the incident was “entirely” out of character for the teen whose only issue was likely his susceptibility to alcohol due to his high level of abstinence. Magistrate Keane said her sentence was entirely in the interest of sending a message to the public as she was confident through all the sentencing materials, character references and reports Stokes would never reoffend. “You are a young man and you are allowed to enjoy life, you’re allowed to spend time with your friends, you don’t always have to be the designated driver but you don’t have to go from zero to this,” she said. “It was an extraordinarily foolish and stupid act that had unintended consequences for an innocent woman who was simply having a drink with her partner - next thing you know she’s on the ground, unconscious, bleeding from the head. “This was so entirely out of character for you, the way you behaved that night wasn’t as some sort of violent person but as a drunken idiot and even being a drunken idiot is out of character for you. “For you going forward in a year’s time, five year’s time, 10 year’s time, in my view you should not be defined by this.” Along with the $2000 fine payable to his victim, Ms Keane issued a spent conviction for Stokes ensuring his criminal record remains clean.