Ali Joubouri jailed over near-fatal coward punch on Jason Lindsley caught on city nightclub CCTV

COWARD punch victim Jason Lindsley will spend his 27th birthday on Saturday relaxing with family and friends after his assailant was sentenced to jail for five years.

Jason Lindsay leaving the District Court with fiancee Sarah Lake and his father Doug.

COWARD punch victim Jason Lindsley will spend his 27th birthday on Saturday relaxing with family and friends after his assailant was on Friday sentenced to jail for five years.

Ali Joubouri, 22, of Walkley Heights, had pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious harm over the incident which was caught on CCTV footage at city nightclub, Zhivagos, in August 2012.

A relieved Mr Lindsley, who was robbed of his memory of the attack by a coma and head trauma, said he was disappointed Joubouri would be eligible for parole this time next year, but was glad his ordeal was over.

“At the end of the day, I'm just glad I can put this all behind me and enjoy myself, I don’t have to worry about nothing,” he said.

He said he would spend his birthday having a couple of drinks and relaxing with his fiancee, Sarah Lake, and other family who were all relieved their ordeal through the justice system appeared to be over.

The attack, which occurred while Joubouri was on bail and banned from the CBD, left Mr Lindsley, with a serious brain injury that required three separate surgeries and months of intensive rehabilitation at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre.

His father, Doug Lindsley, said Joubouri’s sentencing was a “little win” but he would continue his push to demand minimum mandatory sentencing for serious offences.

“You look at all the other people who have came through, or are going through a similar situation to what we have, all the people who are looking at going through the same situation,” he said.

“What sort of hope have they got, you know, of keeping the perpetrator behind bars and making sure they are suffering as much as the family.”

He said he was concerned Joubouri could be back on the streets by this time next year if released on parole.

“In relation to a form of true remorse, you watch his body language while he is standing in the dock there is no eye contact, there is no looking around the courtroom to see who is there, there is no bowing of his head, it’s just straight could heartedness.”

Defence lawyers had told the court Joubouri’s crime was triggered by a homophobic and racist comment by Mr Lindsley.

In sentencing, District Court Judge Rauf Soulio said that even if such comments were made they could not justify an act of violence.

Episodes of alcohol affected violence are a concern to the community,” he said.

“Because you might have been subjected to insult, and possibly a racist insult does not mitigate your offending.”

I make what is probably the obvious observation, no sentence I impose can restore the health of Mr Lindsley,” he said.

Judge Soulio said Joubouri had a troubled childhood, including the death of his cousin in a car bomb, before he immigrated from Iraq.

Joubouri had also been stabbed in an separate incident just weeks before he punched Mr Lindsley.

He sentenced Joubouri to five years jail with a non-parole period of two years and nine months.

That sentence was backdated to when he was first taken into custody making him eligible for patrol early next year.