A Wollongong man has been jailed for attacking and stomping on the head of a fellow club patron after being asked to stop swearing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Samuel Richard Owen had been drinking for more than three hours with a group of men at Wiseman Park Bowling Club at Gwynneville on July 19, 2013, when they were approached by a number of patrons and asked to quieten down.
The men continued to be loud and swear, prompting another patron to make the request a second time - much to the anger of Owen, who threatened the man.
It was when security tried to remove the 29-year-old from the club that he broke free and ran back to the man, punching him in the head a number of times and knocking him to the ground.
He continued throwing punches and yelled "I'm going to kill you" at the victim, while other men joined in the violent melee.
Owen then stood up and stomped on the man's head, before fleeing the scene with a number of his friends.
He was positively identified by the victim and several witnesses in February 2014 and eventually charged with affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company.
Port Kembla Local Court heard on Tuesday the victim received a number of facial and bodily injuries as a result of the attack, including heavy bruising and swelling to the back of the head, throat, larynx, back, chest and torso.
He also suffered a blunt ocular injury and haemorrhaging in his right eye, and a detached left retina, which had reportedly fully healed by early 2014.
During the sentencing hearing the court heard Owen had no previous criminal convictions and was "deeply ashamed" of his behaviour.
He had since limited his alcohol consumption, drinking moderately and leaving venues early.
Magistrate Carolyn Huntsman sentenced Owen to a minimum seven months' jail on the two charges, to be served concurrently. He was released on bail pending the outcome of a District Court appeal on June 17.