A PROFESSIONAL MMA fighter has denied attacking two men in Launceston, including YouTube music artist Tim Whybrow.
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Invermay's Jordan Charles Garcie, 20, pleaded not guilty to two counts of common assault in August last year. Yesterday in the Launceston Magistrates Court, Mr Whybrow said he suffered a fractured jaw after being knocked out in a late-night eatery in Charles Street on the morning of August 11.
While he didn't see who threw the first punch, he was hit again by a man with a rats tail who he later identified as Mr Garcie, the court heard.
"I was unable to defend myself because it happened so quickly - all I remember is being hit twice and falling to the ground," he said.
Mr Whybrow was then woken by Robert Stojanov, a fan who recognised him from his YouTube videos.
Mr Stojanov went outside to confront his attacker and returned bleeding from the face.
Mr Whybrow said he later recorded the accused hassling people in the eatery and gave the footage to police. In cross- examination defence lawyer Adrian Hall pointed out that Mr Whybrow had never told police about being hit a second time.
Mr Hall said Mr Whybrow was confused about who hit him because he'd been viewing footage of Mr Garcie.
"The recognition came from the footage not from the night of the incident, what do you say about that," he asked.
Mr Whybrow said he could see his point, but remembered Mr Garcie's face from the "night he punched me in the face".
Mr Stojanov took to the witness box and said he found Mr Whybrow unconscious that morning.
He later went up to Mr Garcie and asked if he'd hit Mr Whybrow before being assaulted himself, he said.
"Did you see the hit?" police prosecutor Trudi Lusted said.
"To a degree no," he replied.
In cross-examination Mr Hall suggested he did not know who hit him.
Mr Stojanov said there was nobody else besides Mr Garcie close enough to have attacked him.
Mr Garcie gave evidence that he'd been walking down Charles Street after leaving the eatery without incident when Mr Stojanov approached him aggressively and accused him of hitting his friend.
"I put my hands up because I did not want any trouble," he said.
Mr Garcie said a stranger intervened and Mr Stojanov turned on him with a raised fist before being hit.
Mr Stojanov had earlier denied this.
Ms Lusted accused Mr Garcie of concocting the story.
"You're making this up to protect yourself," she said.
"No I'm not,' he said.
The defence called two friends of Mr Garcie who were in the vicinity of the eatery that morning.
Both said a third man had hit Mr Stojanov who was being aggressive.
They denied they were covering for their friend.
In his closing statement Mr Hall said there was a risk both complainants were identifying his client based on footage they'd taken of him.
Ms Lusted said both men had an independent memory from the night of being attacked by Mr Garcie.
Magistrate Tim Hill adjourned his decision until June 6.