Jason Roy Swaffield was in a drunk brawl outside the Grand Hotel in Mount Morgan

A business owner with an extensive and serious criminal record, including trafficking drugs and weapons, has been caught up in drunken birthday brawl outside a pub. Read more here.

A Central Queensland business owner with an extensive and serious criminal record, including trafficking drugs and weapons, has narrowly avoided actual time in prison for a drunken brawl outside a pub.

Jason Roy Swaffield, 51, pleaded guilty on September 1 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of public nuisance within the vicinity of a licensed premises.

Police prosecutor Stacey Bain said police were called to the Grand Hotel in Mount Morgan in relation to a group of patrons fighting on the footpath about 9.15pm on July 12.

She said the fight was captured on CCTV which showed Swaffield being involved.

“The defendant was seen to be yelling and pointing and waving his arms around at other patrons,” Ms Bain said.

“The defendant has then become involved in a brawl with other patrons, punching and grappling.

“The defendant is pulled away but continues to yell and attempts to fight other patrons.

“This continued for several minutes before the crowd dispersed.”

Jason Roy Swaffield, 51, pleaded guilty on September 1 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of public nuisance within the vicinty of a licensed premises.

She said when police spoke with Swaffield about the fight, he told them he couldn’t recall much of that night.

Magistrate Cameron Press said Swaffield had serious history of violence, along with convictions for trafficking drugs and trafficking weapons in 1995.

He said Swaffield also had a conviction for attempting to escape lawful custody, wounding, three of assault occasioning bodily harm, assault police, multiple obstruct police, common assault and some enter dwellings with intent to commit indictable offence.

Mr Press said Swaffield was convicted in 2014 for producing dangerous drugs, and then two common assaults and one assault occasioning bodily harm in 2018 where he received a 15-month prison term and served three months.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said Swaffield owned and operated his own business, with his daughter, doing property maintenance.

She said he had been at the pub for his birthday celebrations and it was the first time he had been there drinking in 11 months.

Mr Press sentenced Swaffield to three months prison, wholly suspended and operational for 12 months.