Man said he was thrown out window

GREGORY Raymond Williams’ leg was amputated after his housemate allegedly threw him out the window of a two-storey house.

Tony James Merritt yesterday pleaded not guilty in Rockhampton District Court to the attack in May 2003.

Mr Williams told the court that because he never cooked Merritt’s girlfriend a meal while they were all living together in 2003, Merritt threw him out the window.

Mr Williams, a 50-year-old disabled pensioner, yesterday said that he had told people he jumped out the window but that was a lie.

He said he lied because he was scared of Merritt.

“I told everybody I jumped out the window. I was scared Tony would come back and get me if I told them,” Mr Williams said.

The injuries Mr Williams sustained created a complication with his diabetes and resulted in one of his legs being amputated below the knee.

Crown prosecutor David Jones said Mr Williams was living with Merritt, Merritt’s girlfriend and another man at the time of the alleged attack.

Mr Jones said “everything seemed fine” when all four were at a North Rockhampton pub on May 23.

However, he said, at one point Merritt confronted Mr Williams about him not cooking his girlfriend a meal at one stage.

“Tony said to me: ‘The other night when you cooked a couple of sausages and eggs you didn’t offer my missus any’,” Mr Williams told the court.

“I said: ‘I can’t cook very good, that’s why I didn’t’.”

Mr Williams said he didn’t think any more of it and walked home by himself later that night to go to bed before midnight.

He claims he was woken up around 2am by Merritt, who was standing in the doorway holding a hammer.

Merritt allegedly smashed Mr Williams’ door, light switch and air-conditioner with the hammer before returning to the room with a wooden bar stool.

Mr Williams claimed Merritt hit him on his legs and arms with the stool before picking him up and throwing him out the window.

Mr Jones said the next thing Mr Williams remembered was waking up underneath a car at the house.

Mr Williams said he crawled out from under the car and hid underneath the stairs where he claims he watched Merritt move all of his furniture out of the house, into a van and then drive away.

Mr Williams was taken to hospital and Mr Jones said complications from his injured leg led to an ulcer forming, which subsequently resulted in his leg being amputated.

Merritt has pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and a charge of wilful damage.