Mark Harrison jailed for almost two years for punching Flagstaff Hill player during grand final
A B-Grade footballer has been jailed for almost two years for a “cowardly” off the ball punch which left his victim’s bottom teeth caved in. WATCH THE PUNCH
Police & Courts
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A punch behind the play of southern suburbs football grand final has landed a Christies Beach Football Club player behind bars for at least 11 months.
Mark Thomas Alan Harrison, 34, pleaded guilty to intentionally causing harm to the other player, which included breaking his jaw and leaving him needing emergency surgery.
On Monday, District Court Judge Paul Muscat described Harrison’s actions as “cowardly and completely unacceptable”.
Harrison had been playing against Flagstaff Hill on September 22, 2018 as both teams battled it out in the Southern Football League B-Grade grand final.
Judge Muscat said the victim had been the leading goal scorer of the league before the grand final and had come in for attention from the Christies Beach side.
One player was tasked with marking him, following him around the field placing pressure on him.
During the game the player marking the victim was knocked to the ground.
Versions differ over what happened to the defender who said he was knocked under the chin with a closed fist.
The victim said he had bumped the defender and might have connected with a stray elbow.
The knock sparked pushing and shoving behind the ball which was eventually broken up by referees and the players drifted apart.
The victim was making his way to the top of the Christies Beach 50m line when Harrison ran up behind him.
Judge Muscat said Harrison had decided to “even up the score” and punched the victim to the jaw when he got to his shoulder.
The punch shattered the victim’s jaw, knocking him to the ground unconscious.
The next thing the victim remembered was regaining consciousness in the locker room.
As Harrison was being led from the field he passed the victim’s father rushing to his son’s side.
The father said “are you proud of yourself” and Harrison responded by saying “come here and I’ll do you too”.
Flagstaff Hill would go on to win the grand final.
The victim was taken to the Flinders Medical Centre where a titanium plate and screws were used to piece his jaw back together.
Judge Muscat said the victim had endured having his lower teeth pushed back into his mouth following the punch.
Harrison had previously been jailed in 2011 for punching a man while at a pub drunk for his birthday.
That offence breached a good behaviour bond for another act of violence in which he had punched a man to the back of the head.
Judge Muscat said Harrison had turned his life around since those incidents.
However, he ruled that suspending the sentence or allowing Harrison to serve the sentence on home detention would be inappropriate.
From a starting point of two years, Judge Muscat took into account Harrison’s plea ahead of trial and jailed him for one year and ten months with a non-parole period of 11 months and one week.
He waved goodbye to supporters as he was led away to the cells.
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