A Launceston man committed a "spiteful and vindictive" attack on a friend after he believed he was seeing his former wife and his children, the Supreme Court in Launceston heard on Friday.
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Damien John Mason, 31, pleaded guilty to Criminal Code assault in August 2019 and was sentenced to a 10-month jail term which was wholly suspended on the condition that he commit no imprisonable offence for two years.
Justice Robert Pearce also sentenced Mason to 140 hours of community service.
Crown prosecutor Emily Judd told the court that Mason had messaged his friend Samuel Jack to meet him at the Hoblers Bridge Dog Park to talk about "my ex-wife".
When Mr Jack arrived Mason said "you've been around my kids" and punched him to the face and when he went to run away Mason grabbed him and punched him to the back of the head 10-15 times.
When the victim went to the ground Mason kicked his face causing the loss of two teeth, cracking of two others the smashing his jaw and causing massive lip lacerations.
Ms Judd told the court that the estimated cost of dental work required was up to $20,000.
Mason also threatened Mr Jack during the attack saying that if he did not stay away he would put a "bullet in your head".
Shortly after he sent threatening messages warning Mr Jack about going to police and saying he would hunt him down.
In mitigation defence counsel Katarina Gauden said Mason was very remorseful and had made an early plea of guilty.
"He wasn't remorseful when he sent the text messages," Justice Pearce remarked.
She said Mason was suffering mental health problems after the breakup of his five-year marriage.
In sentencing, Justice Pearce said the assault had a significant effect on Mr Jack's life.
"A resort to violence is to be strongly condemned and to repeatedly punch him and then kick him when he was down was spiteful and vindictive," he said.
"There was an absence of immediate remorse."
He said that Mason had initiated the meeting on the basis that he wanted to talk but had assaulted Mr Jack before there was a chance for any discussion.
Justice Pearce made a compensation order for dental expenses.
The court heard that Mason, a welder and boilermaker, had known Mr Jack for seven years and had no prior conviction for crimes of violence.
Ms Gauden said that the sudden death of a close friend shortly before the attack had affected Mason's mental health.
Mason had become angry after he heard from one of his children that "Sam had come around to the house".
