Ashley James Graham punched a man in the face because he thought he had been insulted

A Gold Coast concreter who thought he had been insulted walked up to a stranger and punched him in the face. SEE THE VIDEO

A GOLD Coast concreter who thought he had been insulted walked up to a stranger and punched him in the face.

Ashley James Graham had merely been asked if he was all right during a night out in Surfers Paradise on May 9 this year.

The punch, at about 1.45am, knocked the victim to the ground and damaged two teeth.

Graham pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday to assault occasioning bodily harm.

CCTV footage played to the court showed Graham walking near the Surfers Paradise Beer Garden when he passed the victim who was talking to a friend.

Prosecutor Andreea Iordache said the victim asked Graham if he was all right.

The footage shows that after Graham passed the victim, Graham stopped walked back and punched him once in the face.

The victim fell back onto the ground.

Magistrate Kerry Magee sentenced the 36-year-old to six months prison wholly suspended for 18 months.

She also ordered him to pay $3000 in compensation.

“The overwhelming feature is the gratuitous, unprovoked violence in response to a perceived assault,” Magistrate Magee said.

She said it was “good fortune” for Graham that the victim had not been more seriously injured.

Defence lawyer Michael McMillan, of Mark Savic Legal, said Graham was intoxicated and had made the decision to go home at the time of the assault.

He said Graham thought the victim had insulted him.

Ashley Graham leaves Southport Court.

“His intoxication played a large part, (from the footage) it is clear that police were only metres away,” he said.

Mr McMillan said Graham had opened a concreting business with a friend and was in the process of applying for a building licence.

He said that licence would be more difficult to obtain if Graham had a criminal conviction.

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Originally published as Ashley James Graham punched a man in the face because he thought he had been insulted