Geelong man Nathan Briggs fought Leopold fish and chip shop owners over alcohol

A highly intoxicated Geelong man got into a brawl with the owners of a Leopold fish and chip shop after they told him he was not allowed to drink alcohol.

Inside the Catch Fish and Chippery Shop in Leopold. Picture: Catch Fish and Chippery

A drunk and drug affected man started a brawl inside a Leopold fish and chip shop after he was told not to drink alcohol in front of the store while waiting for his food.

After attending a Sunday barbecue, Nathan Briggs walked into the Catch Fish and Chippery Store and started several arguments with the shop owners.

The Geelong Magistrates Court heard Briggs, who pleaded guilty to one charge of assault, was drinking alcohol from cans he brought with him when the male victim came out to give him his food.

When he was told not to drink in front of the store, Briggs became aggressive and told the man to “f--- off”.

The male victim took Briggs’ food back into the store, causing Briggs to storm in after him and demand a refund.

When this was denied, Briggs reached over and gripped the arm of the female owner who had attempted to give him his food.

The man and the woman removed him from the store, but Briggs returned.

When tensions escalated, the woman stood between Briggs and the other man to defuse the situation.

A fight broke out between the two anyway, with the male victim landing three punches on Briggs that knocked him down.

Briggs left the store again only to return two minutes later to grab his food and throw it towards the kitchen.

A brawl then broke out between Briggs, the man, other staff members and customers wanting to help the owners.

Police found Briggs bleeding from his face outside the store.

He was not co-operative with officers and had to be sedated at the hospital due to his aggressive nature towards staff.

His lawyer, Ryan Robertson, said Briggs has a “longstanding battle with alcohol addiction (and) that’s really the theme (here)”.

Magistrate Peter Mellas said Briggs’ alcohol issues stem as far back as his criminal history, which dates back to 2015.

“This happened last year … he must have understood that the incident occurred largely because of the way in which he uses alcohol,” Mr Mellas said.

Briggs was assessed for a community corrections order and will return to the court at a later date for sentencing.

Originally published as Geelong man Nathan Briggs fought Leopold fish and chip shop owners over alcohol