Barry Phillip Siecker sentenced to time served for bashing busker Matt Eberhart with his own ukulele during Fringe
A man who bashed an American busker over the head with his own ukulele will be immediately released from prison – under a supervised bond – for his brazen Rundle Mall assault.
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A man who has been in custody since he hit a Rundle Mall busker over the head with his own ukulele, after smashing the instrument on the ground, has been sentenced to time served.
Barry Phillip Siecker will spend the next month supervised, on a $500 good behaviour bond, following his Adelaide Magistrates Court sentencing on Monday.
Siecker, 29, pleaded guilty to assault over an incident in Rundle Mall in February.
He approached busker Matt Eberhart and, while the American was performing, smashed his ukulele on the ground and struck him over the head with the damaged instrument.
Mr Eberhart, who is known as “Banana Man”, was at the time dressed as a pencil because his preferred costume was being shipped from interstate.
He suffered a cut to his forehead in the incident, after which passers-by tackled Siecker and held him until police arrived.
On Monday, the court heard Siecker had insisted he was acting in self-defence, and the incident was sparked by Mr Eberhart insulting a woman.
“Siecker told a psychologist he went over to speak to the busker about the comment,” a report, read to the court, stated.
“He believed Mr Eberhart was offensive and threatening to passers-by … he armed himself with the ukulele to grab his attention and challenged him, saying ‘you don’t speak to ladies like that around here’.
“He says the busker balled up his fist like he was going to hit him so he picked up the ukulele and struck him first.”
However, counsel for Siecker said their client no longer maintained that position and admitted he had struck out of anger.
They said Siecker had, at the time, been off his psychiatric medication, homeless and only recently discharged from an enforced hospital stay.
They said he was “quite angry, and had never been that angry before, and didn’t know why” when he encountered Mr Eberhart.
Police prosecutors asked Siecker pay Mr Eberhart $645 compensation for his injuries, $300 for the ukulele and $300 for two days of lost busking income.
Magistrate Simon Smart sentenced Siecker to three months and 21 days jail, but ordered he be immediately released on a $500 good behaviour bond.
Mr Eberhart told The Advertiser that he thought the sentence was fair for “what (Siecker) had done”.
“If he keeps himself clean doesn’t get in any more violent attacks then he will be off the hook, I just hope this helps him get the help he needs to get better,” he said.