A young man has been fined $2000 after his mates bashed their former friend before he tried to steal money from him.
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Unanderra's Mitchel William Spicer, 22, pleaded guilty to demand money with menace in Wollongong Local Court where he was sentenced to a community corrections order where he must be of good behaviour for 12 months and was ordered to pay $2000.
Magistrate Claire Girotto said despite Spicer not being involved in the assault, he had "taken advantage" of the situation while a man was injured.
An agreed set of facts said Spicer and the victim had been friends at Edmund Rice College but in August 2019 the friend had cut ties with his group after he got a girlfriend.
The victim received a phone call about 10.30pm on October 25, 2019 where Spicer told him to come to Figtree Hotel so they could "sought out their issues" or he and his friends would go to the man's house.
Once the man arrived at the hotel, Spicer and his three mates came outside before the group walked to a nearby football oval. One at a time, the man fought three of the group, except for Spicer.
The man did not get seriously injured in the short fights.
However the three men then started assaulting him with kicks and punches, continuing even when he was on the ground, and he sustained head and body injuries.
After composing himself, the victim and men walked back to the car where Spicer told his former friend to drive him to get money.
The victim drove Spicer and two of the other men to an ATM on Tannery Street, Unanderra where he was told by Spicer to withdraw $2000 or they would go to his house.
However, when the man tried to withdraw the money his card was locked as the transaction was too large.
The man and Spicer tried on multiple occasions to withdraw different amounts of cash with no success.
Spicer told the man to drive him and the others home, and they would get the money off him the next day.
Upon arriving home, the man went to Wollongong Hospital for treatment to his injuries before contacting police the next day to report the assault.
Spicer sent the man messages so he could collect the money but he was still in hospital. On November 2, Spicer went to the man's home to try and get the money but the man reported it to police.
Police arrested Spicer on November 6, where he told officers the man owed him money between $500 to $600 for a concert ticket.
In court on Friday, Spicer's barrister Glenda Stares said her client had made "significant changes" in his life since the incident which included not associating with his co-offenders, stopping drinking and had started full time employment as a bricklayer.
Ms Stares also said Spicer had taken up playing rugby league and had apologised to the court realising he "should have dealt with the conflict in a more respectful and lawful way".
Police prosecutor Sergeant Coby Davies said Spicer had been the "ringleader" telling the victim to come to the hotel and caused him fear because on three occasions the group said they would go to his house.
She also Spicer had dragged the victim, who had "horrific injuries", to get the money and was "greedy" as he claims he was only owed $500 but demanded $2000.
The other men were charged with assault in company and affray and were dealt with separately.
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