Two young men punched and kicked a man more than 30 times in a "sickening" incident in the Launceston CBD, the Launceston Magistrates Court heard.
Jack Bevan Holton, 20, of Rocherlea and Brody Mark Brown, 20, of Swansea pleaded guilty to a count of assault about 3.26am on May 15, 2021.
Police prosecutor Alex Pemberton said that the two men were walking in the CBD when the complainant said something and then punched Holton.
"Holton punched the complainant with a right fist that prosecution accepts was in self-defence," he said.
The man fell to the footpath unconscious and Brown kicked him to the legs and body.
"The complainant was motionless and not offering any resistance but the defendant Holton continued to punch him," he said. The complainant recovered slightly and Holton hit him repeatedly with the right fist.
The complainant suffered bruising to the head and eye socket and was transported to the Launceston General Hospital. He said Holton had considerable bruising to the right fist. When police visited the man in the LGH he was unwilling to make a complaint and he signed a medical release.
Police proceeded against the men after viewing CCTV footage and seeing the seriousness of the attack.
In a police interview Holton said that the man said, "do you want a go?" and punched him.
Magistrate Reg Marron asked to view the footage and Holton watched.
Mr Pemberton said police estimated Holton hit the man 30 times and Brown kicked him four to five times.
When asked if he wanted to say anything Holton said: "I really didn't want to see it again, I'm embarrassed and apologetic."
"He punched me first, but I took it way too far."
"What was going through your head?," Mr Marron asked. "I really don't know, I was already angry, but that was no excuse," he said.
Brown's defence counsel Michael Larcombe said the incident was out of character and tendered references.
"My client's involvement was less serious, but he accepts that it was a serious assault," he said.
"He is remorseful and says it was a silly decision influenced by alcohol."
Mr Marron told Brown that the court treated the offending the same because Brown did not do anything to intervene on Holton's actions.
"If you were by yourself I assume this would never have happened but together the two of you fed off each other," he said. "It was a pack mentality way beyond what you needed to do." He fined Brown $1200, but did not impose a conviction.
Mr Marron said that Holton would go to jail if he came back with something similar again. "It was a sickening thing to see," he said.
"That behaviour is what the people in Launceston are sick to death of seeing, that sort of violence in the CBD," he said. Holton, who had a worse criminal record, was fined $1800 and ordered to do a course to curb aggression.
"In some part of you there is an ability to go right off."
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
