A Wollongong judge has slammed a Cringila man who stomped on another man’s head during an unprovoked, sickening attack, labelling him an ‘‘out-of-control hot head’’.
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Judge Paul Conlon gave Joshua Richardson a serve in court on Friday, making it clear he was sick of young men assaulting victims while they lay defenceless.
‘‘This court so often sees young men, full of alcohol and aggression, who manage to get somebody on the ground and kick them,’’ he said.
‘‘I deal with cases where people have ended up in wheelchairs from having their heads kicked in or stomped on by people; the community has just had enough of these sorts of crimes.’’
Richardson, who pleaded guilty to affray and resisting police, became embroiled in a verbal altercation with the two male victims outside Hostage X nightclub in Wollongong on November 10 last year.
The argument was broken up by security around 3am before the victims headed along Crown Street. While they were standing on a corner, Richardson and another man, who cannot be named, set upon them.
Richardson punched one of the men, who managed to duck, before his friend intervened.
Richardson then turned on the friend, unleashing a series of punches and kicks.
CCTV footage shows Richardson violently attacking the man and at one point stomping on his head and chest as he lay on the ground.
The victim managed to get to his feet and run but Richardson and the other man followed him and assaulted him again.
Bystanders intervened and Richardson and his co-accused fled. He was arrested later that night but became enraged, telling officers: ‘‘I’m not going anywhere, prove it, show me the CCTV.’’
He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail with a minimum 13 months’ behind bars in March.
Appealing the 23-year-old’s sentence on Friday, solicitor William Whitby said Richardson had been concerned for his mate as he could not fight due to a rugby injury.
He claimed the victim had warned Richardson he was ‘‘going to belt him’’ but conceded that did not excuse his client’s actions.
Judge Conlon rejected the argument. He said Richardson simply drank too much and exploded.
But the judge acknowledged Richardson was hard-working and in jail for the first time.
He reduced Richardson’s non-parole period to six months, making him eligible for release in September.
