A Coniston man who waved a knife during a peak-hour brawl on Burelli Street has avoided jail time.
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Simon Peter Porceddu, 46, faced Wollongong Local Court over a public brawl on Burelli St in January which interrupted traffic.
Porceddu was convicted of affray, wielding a knife in a public place, and behaving offensively in a public place.
Defence lawyer Nicholas Ashby said it was "essentially an intoxicated, drunken" brawl that was "relatively short-lived".
Documents tendered to the court reveal Porceddu threw punches at two men at the Burelli Street bus shelters opposite the cinema just before 5.30PM on Tuesday, January 25.
Porceddu and one of the men then took the fight onto Burelli Street, throwing around verbal insults and forcing traffic to a halt as they pursued each other back and forth.
Porceddu returned to the bus shelter and then rode away on a bicycle, before returning on foot a few minutes later wielding a knife.
From the intersection of Church and Burelli Streets, Proceddu held the knife in the air and yelled at the men involved in the brawl from 30 metres away.
Police later identified Porceddu through security footage.
Mr Ashby said Porceddu has his demons with drugs and alcohol and he wishes to apologise to the community for the public violence.
"It was peak hour on a Tuesday afternoon..." Magistrate Claire Girrotto commented.
"People would have been quite scared."
Magistrate Girrotto sentenced Porceddu to a two-year community corrections order with supervision.
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Rosie Bensley
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
