Isiah Luke Coulthard faces court for Airlie Beach nightclub Mama Africa fight

There was more than alcohol at play when violence erupted on the streets of Airlie Beach during this boys’ night out.

A young Indigenous man who reacted angrily to a racial slur has been told he should have instead walked away “happy” the name-caller “recognised who he was”.

Isiah Luke Coulthard, 22, faced Proserpine Magistrates Court this week as the result of an August 2021 fight outside Airlie Beach nightclub Mama Africa in which he grabbed a man by the shirt collar and punched him in the face multiple times.

The court heard Coulthard became agitated and disorderly as he exited the club about 1am on Saturday, August 14, and proceeded to “posture aggressively” towards a group of men, “encouraging them to fight”.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors said Coulthard’s punches left one man with an open, bleeding wound to his cheek.

Police initially charged Coulthard with public nuisance and assault occasioning bodily harm but the assault charge was dismissed on Monday when the prosecution offered no evidence.

Coulthard pleaded guilty to committing public nuisance near a licensed premises.

Defence lawyer Elizabeth Smith told the court her client grew up in the small town of Bedourie, near Birdsville, and was well-regarded in the local community.

She said he was now based in Moranbah, working as a truck driver, and had been out on a “boys’ weekend” drinking “quite heavily” with his brother and a friend in the lead up to the offence.

Ms Smith said Coulthard, who identified as Aboriginal, had tried to walk away from the dispute but just as it began to “de-escalate”, one of the men yelled out calling him a “black c--t”.

“That caused him to turn around and they began to fight again,” Ms Smith said.

“He accepts that is very poor behaviour.”

The court heard Coulthard was well-regarded in his hometown of Bedourie. Picture: Facebook

Magistrate James Morton said it was lucky nobody ended up in hospital on life support or worse because of Coulthard’s “very dangerous” behaviour.

Mr Morton’s advice was: “Next time somebody calls you a racial slur, don’t let it get the better of you, even if you’re drunk”.

“You ought to be happy that somebody recognises who you are – take it in your stride,” Mr Morton said.

“Next time somebody calls you something like that, be proud about it.”

Coulthard was fined $650 and banned from the Airlie Beach Safe Night Precinct for 12 months.

No convictions were recorded.