Joshua Karl Cowan sentenced for Railway Hotel Yeppoon assault

A man flicked cigarette ash into another pub patron’s face before standing over him and attacking him with ‘slaps’, a court has heard.

Joshua Karl Cowan was sentenced in Yeppoon Magistrates Court for an assault at the Railway Hotel Yeppoon.

A man who flicked cigarette ash into another pub patron’s face before attacking him with “slaps”, has been sentenced in court.

Joshua Karl Cowan, 21, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court to unlawful assault in public while adversely affected.

The court heard Cowan was at Railway Hotel Yeppoon on June 22, when about 1am the male victim, known to him, walked into a smoker’s area.

Cowan called out “hello” and the victim acknowledged and sat down.

Police prosecutor Corey O’Connor said Cowan wanted to speak to the victim about “an incident which happened last year.”

“The victim didn’t want to speak to (Cowan) and thought (Cowan) was trying to rile him up,” Mr O’Connor said.

“(Cowan) stood over the victim, flicking his cigarette ash into the victim’s face.”

Mr O’Connor said the victim stayed seated and tried not to engage with Cowan.

“(Cowan) then slapped the victim across the face with an open palm and said something like ‘tell me I’m lying again’.”

The Railway Hotel Yeppoon.

The victim responded “but you are lying” and Cowan slapped him again.

The court heard Cowan again stood over the victim.

“The victim was stuck between (Cowan) and a fence and had nowhere to go,” Mr O’Connor said.

“(Cowan) then slapped him over the back of the head.”

A bystander urged Cowan to move away and he did.

The victim told security what had happened and police were informed.

Mr O’Connor said Cowan, when questioned by police, told them he was angry at the victim for “damaging his mate’s car.”

The court heard Cowan admitted to slapping the victim and he told police he “had a gutful of p... at the time.”

Cowan had no criminal history.

Solicitor Rebecca Winning said Cowan formerly worked at a pub at Emu Park but he was now unemployed.

She said there had been an ongoing feud between Cowan and the victim and the latter was not injured during the incident.

In sentencing on August 1, Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale fined Cowan $800 and no conviction was recorded.