A 23-year-old man at the centre of a brawl at Fitzgerald’s Bar has walked away from Bunbury Magistrates Court with a spent conviction.
The man attended court on Thursday, September 6 and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Greg Ward told the court the man was in Fitzgerald’s Bar at 12:38am on April 1, while the victim and their associate stood behind him.
The victim and associate then provoked the man, before the 23-year-old pushed the victim.
The 23-year-old was then pushed against a wall and became part of a fight.
Later on, the victim held the 23-year-old’s associate by the throat.
The 23-year-old then punched the victim to the left side of the head, causing a 5-centimetre laceration.
The accused was later interviewed by police and told them he had no recollection of the events.
He then admitted to being involved after being shown CCTV footage of the incident.
The man’s lawyer, Paul Chapman, said the man felt remorse over the incident and was willing to pay fines.
Mr Chapman said the incident was “out of character” for the 23-year-old and that the man had “taken steps to clean up his act”.
The lawyer said the charge served as a “wake up call” for the man and that his client was unlikely to reoffend.
Bringing the 23-year-old’s access to work on mine sites into the discussion, Mr Chapman said his client’s future opportunities would be jeopardised if he were to receive a criminal record.
Magistrate Evan Shackleton offered his advice, suggesting victim-accused mediation could prove useful.
He added counselling could help the 23-year-old see the error of his ways.
The magistrate addressed the man’s concerns and handed down a spent conviction.
“I am confident you are not coming back,” Mr Shackleton said.
The 23-year-old was also given a 12-month, $700 conditional behaviour bond.
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