Phillip Leigh Julian Patricelli sentenced for Blue Bar king hit

A father has hugged his mother goodbye after being jailed for kicking an unconscious man he had king hit outside a popular Sunshine Coast bar. Read what happened:

A father claimed he was being protective when he started kicking an unconscious bar goer who he had king hit outside a popular Alexandra Headland bar.

Phillip Leigh Julian Patricelli will spend the next four months behind bars after he pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm outside the Blue Bar on May 7, 2021.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard Patricelli called his victim a “f-----g dog” after he had punched him in the side of the head.

“(The victim) fell to the ground and hit his head,” Police prosecutor Mark Burrell said.

“While unconscious on the ground he was kicked twice, once in the head.”

Senior Constable Burrell said the then 30-year-old showed little remorse after the attack and ran away from the scene without offering any assistance to his unconscious victim.

Constable Burrell played an audio recording of the attack.

The victim suffered a fractured skull, facial cuts, a sore jaw and was bedridden for seven days after the “coward punch”.

In his victim impact statement he described suffering ongoing physical, social, emotional and psychological effects including difficulties in speaking and attending work.

The Blue Bar is a popular Alexandra Headland venue.

Constable Burrell said Patricelli showed no regard to the safety of the man and should pay between $8000 and $10,000 in compensation.

He said a period of imprisonment between 18 months and two years with actual time served was in range for the serious example of an assault occasioning bodily harm offence.

Solicitor Katie Wolff said the father of two believed he was protecting a group of girls who had told him the man allegedly touched them sexually and called them s--ts and b----s.

She said he believed he was protecting the girls from “predatory behaviour” but understood his actions were uncalled for and disproportionate.

“He clearly sees he was in the wrong and that it was absolutely disproportionate and cowardly,” she said.

Ms Wolff said Patricelli’s offending was not premeditated or prolonged and simply happened in the heat of the moment.

She said the father, who was diagnosed with anxiety and depression before the event had strong connections to the community, had engaged a psychologist and took part in a men’s behavioural change course.

The court heard Patricelli was described as his family’s rock and had written an apology letter to the victim.

Ms Wolff asked for him to be released on immediate parole so he could continue his rehabilitation in the community.

“The person on that night is not the person standing next to me today,” she said.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist said there was no evidence to suggest the women had expressed any concern with Patricelli.

“It (the assault) was not provoked because you weren't the subject of what the victim was allegedly doing,” he said.

Mr Stjernqvist said if Patricelli hadn’t kicked the man while he was unconscious he could have considered no actual time behind bars.

He imposed a 15-month prison sentence that was to be suspended after Patricelli served four months.

No compensation was ordered.