A fight at Grays Hotel at George Town resembled the Wild West, the Launceston Magistrates Court heard.
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The observation came in a sentencing hearing for Troy Graeme Nettlefold and Ryan Ashley Griffiths who were found guilty of acting in a violent, quarrelsome or disorderly manner on licensed premises on March 5, 2021.
Nettlefold, 44, of George Town was also found guilty of three counts of common assault of Timothy Wilson by grabbing, pushing and punching him numerous times.
Griffiths, 45, of George Town was guilty of one count of common assault against Anthony James Barrenger by punching him and pinning him to the ground.
Defence counsel for Nettlefold Grant Tucker said it was like the Wild West where it was a matter of who got in first. In her decision Magistrate Sharon Cure found the men guilty after conducting a hearing.
She said CCTV from the hotel was clear and backed the prosecution case showing that Nettlefold and Griffiths were with a younger man in a hat who was looking for a fight. The fight started when Griffiths attacked Mr Barrenger by punching him three times. "There was no obvious need for such a response," Ms Cure said. Mr Wilson moved toward Griffiths but was grabbed by Nettlefold who punched him about four times. A barman broke up the fight and Nettlefold left and everything settled down.
However, Nettlefold then walked around the bar and punched Barrenger twice to the back of the head at least two times and then swung at Wilson knocking him out.
Ms Cure said that Nettlefold stepped over the unconscious Wilson to punch Barrenger again. She said the barman had tried hard to stop the fight. "But for his intervention the injuries could have been far worse," she said.
Ms Cure said that Griffiths' initial attack was unnecessary and had caused the fight. She said Nettlefold's last punches were extremely dangerous causing Wilson to fall to the ground unconscious.
Mr Tucker Nettlefold had returned to the bar because his sunglasses, of sentimental value, were on the head of a man. Ms Cure said she had not seen the sunglasses in the CCTV and would watch it again.
Counsel for Griffiths Mark Doyle said his client instigated the violence but then stopped.
The court heard that Griffiths was usually civic minded and worked as a soccer coach with under 12's. Ms Cure adjourned sentencing until July 12.
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