Meat pie sparks violent attack with scissors

THE 38-year-old, who punched, cut and eye-gouged the other man, will remain behind bars until at least August.

East Ballina man Michael Stevens has been sentenced over a violent assault on his housemates. Picture: Facebook

A BALLINA man has been imprisoned over a violent fight which began over a meat pie.

Michael Paul Stevens, 38, was in April found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and reckless wounding of his flatmate in Seaview St, East Ballina, on the evening of November 5 last year.

In the same hearing before Ballina Local Court, Magistrate Karen Stafford found Stevens not guilty of a further reckless wounding charge.

Two charges of causing reckless grievous bodily harm were earlier withdrawn.

Stevens faced Ballina Local Court for sentencing on Thursday.

A fight broke out between Stevens and his housemate between 6 and 8pm on November 5, sparked by a disagreement over a meat pie.

In his April hearing, Stevens had argued substantial amounts of his attacks on the other man were self-defence related, and this was the basis of him being found not guilty of one of the reckless wounding charges.

The court heard at hearing Stevens had punched the other man, gouged his eyes and held a pair of scissors to his throat throughout the dispute.

He later held his housemate to the ground and cut through his ear cartilage with the scissors.

For each offence, Ms Stafford sentenced Stevens to 18 months prison with a nine month non-parole period.

His full sentence, which was backdated to November 6 last year, will expire on May 5 next year.