Thomas Jack O’Neill sentenced for Federal Hotel fly kick assault, DUIs | Watch

He told a court he was grieving the death of his father, but a kick to the head of his Federal Hotel victim saw a “booze hound” cop the wrath of the magistrate.

A 22-year-old Largs Bay man was drunk and grieving the sudden death of his father when he delivered an “unforgivable, gutless” fly kick to the head of his victim.

Thomas Jack O’Neill, a landscaper, was on Monday sentenced in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court for that assault and another assault to an off-duty police officer after pleading guilty to the charges.

The sentence factored in further driving under the influence of alcohol and driving unregistered charges O’Neill also pleaded guilty to.

Footage of the fight, which happened outside the Federal Hotel at Semaphore in November 2019, showed O’Neill as an aggressor in what Magistrate Luke Davis described as a “chaotic” brawl with a “really dangerous edge to it”.

“What you did was an unforgivable, gutless act,” Mr Davis said.

“The whole thing was pointless and needless.”

Thomas Jack O'Neill was sentenced for a wild Largs Bay brawl. Pictures: SAPOL

Police prosecutor Kristie Molloy had earlier told the court the wild fracas started in the hotel before spilling out onto Semaphore Road.

She told the court the victim of the assault had an item thrown at him by a group of people on a nearby table before asking them: “Why would you do that? What the f---?”

The court heard, while O’Neill was engaged in the brawl, an off-duty police officer was filming the whole incident and trying to break it up.

While the footage was played O’Neill, a former Port Districts Football Club junior and Le Fevre High School student, sat looking down and with a furrowed brow.

Seven months after the assault O’Neill was pulled over by police and returned a breath alcohol test of 0.195 while on his provisional licence.

Three months after that, with his licence suspended, he was again pulled over and blood tested, this time blowing 0.156.

Thomas Jack O'Neill leaves the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court with his mother. Picture: Brinley Duggan

Caroline Tassone, for O’Neill, said her client had turned to alcohol to cope with the sudden passing of his father about 18 months before the assault.

“He became a ‘booze hound’,” she said.

“(But) this was a huge wake up call for him.

“He’s remorseful, regretful and embarrassed.

“Since that night he has not been out more than a couple of times a year … and when he does go out he does not get intoxicated.”

Mr Davis questioned Ms Tassone’s submissions given the two drink driving readings which happened following “that night”.

Mr Davis cited O’Neill’s age and “virtually no criminal history” when convicting and sentencing him to a six-month wholly suspended prison sentence.

His licence was suspended for 12 months and he was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.