Farmborough Heights’ Jack Kavanagh was visiting family in the central NSW town in October 2016 when he and his fiance went to the Amaroo Hotel one night.

Documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday said Kavanagh’s fiance began feeling sick just before 12.30am, prompting her to leave the hotel.

She walked towards a nearby parked car – owned by a man who would become Kavanagh’s first victim – and got in the passenger’s seat, while the victim was still in the driver’s seat.

“You’re not my friend, I will sit here until she arrives,” the woman told the driver.

Kavanagh came out of the hotel a short time later and immediately asked his fiance what she was doing before grabbing her by the arm and pulling her out of the car.

He then walked around the back of the vehicle, asked the driver the same question then punched him in the mouth without warning.

The victim stepped back and Kavanagh punched him again.

Meanwhile, two of the driver’s friends saw the melee unfold and ran over to check on his welfare, at which time Kavanagh threw a series of punches at them.

Hotel bouncers intervened and stopped the altercation.

When questioned by police a short time later, Kavanagh claimed the three men had been attempting to force his fiance into their vehicle.

However, Magistrate Roger Clisdell rejected that version of events in court on Wednesday, saying it was more likely based on the evidence that Kavanagh had seen his fiance with other men and lost his temper.

Meanwhile, Kavanagh’s lawyer said his client had moved to the region to attend Illawarra Sports High and had played professional rugby league in Wollongong and Rockhampton until retiring in 2017. 

He noted Kavanagh had no prior criminal record and had not committed any other offences since then.

Magistrate Clisdell recorded a conviction against the 20-year-old but imposed no further penalty.