Joel Peter Casey: Ex-boxer could walk free despite four-year jail term for crowbar attack on pregnant woman

A former semi-professional boxer who chased down a heavily-pregnant woman with a crowbar before bashing her friend could be out of prison within weeks. Joel Peter Casey, who was known as “2 Gunz” throughout his decade-long light heavyweight boxing career, could not contain his relief after Judge Belinda Lonsdale passed sentence in Perth District Court on Friday. The 38-year-old, who became so infatuated with a woman that he broke into her South West home after a five-day meth bender, was told that because he had already been in custody for two years, he would be eligible for parole immediately — despite his immediate four-year jail sentence. In sentencing, Judge Londsdale detailed how Casey had been on parole in Queensland when he forced his way into his heavily-pregnant victim’s Dalyellup home about 4.30am on December 6, 2020. As the eight-month pregnant woman ran into the garage and dropped to the ground in a foetal position, fearing for her safety, Casey picked up her phone and snapped it in half. He then ran back through the house and struck the woman’s friend three times with a 30cm crowbar, fracturing his jaw, nose and eye socket. Police arrested Casey after finding him in a “drug-affected” state and drinking bourbon at his home. Judge Lonsdale said Casey’s offending was aggravated by the fact that he had been carrying a dangerous weapon that could have caused death. He said Casey’s actions were “entirely senseless”. “One of your victims was a pregnant woman who feared for her life,” Judge Lonsdale said. “She would have had very little hope of defending herself. “It (the violent home invasion) had no purpose whatsoever.” Originally from Townsville, Casey suffered repeated blows to the head throughout his life as a result of his professional boxing career in his 20s. Judge Lonsdale said that while there was no formal diagnosis, it was likely Casey had brain damage based on several expert reports. On top of the suspected degenerative brain injury, Casey’s GP said that he could also have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive brain condition that is fatal and can only be diagnosed after death. Judge Lonsdale said Casey had a difficult upbringing marred by cognitive learning difficulties, depression, anxiety, ADHD and PTSD, and had an “antisocial and devil-may-care attitude towards” drug and alcohol. “You do not have a good record,” she said, pointing to Casey’s criminal record in WA and Queensland. In 2014, Casey tried to obtain $5000 from his GP by claiming the doctor’s name was on a hit list but he would be able to “make it go away” if the physician paid up. Judge Lonsdale said Casey lacked insight and self-awareness in relation to his latest offending, detailing how he had only entered pleas of guilty after negotiations resulted in his charges being downgraded to one count each of criminal damage, aggravated home burglary and assault occasioning bodily harm. She said there was an elevated risk that Casey would reoffend,and that he had a “patchy” compliance with supervision orders issued by the courts. Judge Lonsdale sentenced Casey to three years and 10 months in prison, with parole eligibility after serving 23 months — the length of time he has been in custody. The Prisoner Review Board will ultimately decide if Casey can go free almost immediately.