Steven DeBoer sentenced for assaulting two people in Noarlunga Centre Interchange brawl

A tradie has been spared jail after he kicked a stranger already down in the head in a brutal daylight bashing at one of Adelaide’s most dangerous bus interchanges.

A labourer narrowly dodged jail after he joined his friends in a brutal bashing on innocent strangers at one of Adelaide’s most dangerous bus interchanges.

Steven David DeBoer, 33, made the foolish decision to entangle himself in the brawl out of loyalty for his friend.

During sentencing on Monday, Judge Michael Burnett said it was evident from CCTV footage DeBoer wasn’t the main instigator of the Noarlunga Centre Interchange brawl.

The Noarlunga Centre Interchange/Railway Station. Picture: Ashleigh Pisani

The court heard another member from DeBoer’s group of seven taunted three other young people before throwing the first punches.

The “free for all brawl” commenced, with DeBoer only getting involved towards the end of the fight.

“You kicked the male to the back of the head whilst he was on the ground,” Judge Burnett said.

DeBoer was also captured on CCTV footage pushing the second victim.

Zara Smith, for the prosecution, told the court during sentencing submissions last month it was a “spontaneous but joint criminal enterprise”.

“It was brazen offending, committed in the middle of the day in a busy suburban train station, where both the victims and the members of the public who witnessed the altercation were entitled to feel safe,” she said.

Noarlunga Centre Interchange was named in 2021 as one of Adelaide’s most dangerous interchanges after figures revealed the number of drivers attacked in a two-year period.

The court heard the first victim suffered a broken nose, swelling and cuts, while the second victim suffered bruising and soreness.

DeBoer, of Aldinga Beach, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm.

His co-accused, Zayne Tyson Gramas-Martin, 21, was sentenced in May to one year and eight months’ jail, with a non parole period of 11 months for his role in the brawl.

Steven DeBoer was sentenced for his role in the Noarlunga interchange brawl. Photo: Facebook

Zayne Gramas-Martin was jailed for his role. Picture: Facebook

The court heard DeBoer didn’t want to get involved in the brawl but one of the men in the victim’s group made a racist comment to his friend and he reacted.

Judge Burnett said it was no excuse for the “cowardly act” against a vulnerable victim.

“There could have been severe consequences for the victim, unfortunately there was not,” he said.

The court heard DeBoer, who previously worked as a labourer, had a young daughter who tragically died last year from a terminal heart condition.

Judge Burnett sentenced DeBoer to one year and four months’ jail, with a non-parole period of eight months.

Due to DeBoer’s limited role in the offending and remorse, he suspended the sentence on a two-year, $500 good behaviour bond, with supervision.