North Coast man Jonathan David Pitt sentenced for Byron Bay teen glassing and assaulting another man

A West Ballina man who glassed a 17-year-old in a jealous rage then pushed over another man outside a Byron Bay pub said in court that no words can describe how sorry he is.

Johnathan David Pitt at Ballina Local Court in 2023.

A West Ballina man who glassed a 17-year-old boy in a jealous rage then pushed over another man outside a Byron Bay pub said “words can’t describe how sorry I am”.

Jonathan David Pitt, 30, appeared before Judge Craig Smith in Lismore District Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to common assault and reckless grievous bodily harm in December last year.

The court heard in September 2023, Pitt, then 28, went on an all night bender from Lismore to Byron, downing more than 20 alcoholic drinks.

That same night, the 17-year-old victim arrived at Woody’s around 3am when the venue was closing to go home with his friends.

Pitt told the court tried to get a lift out of Byron because he wanted to go home and “get away from everything”.

Johnathan David Pitt, 30, outside Lismore court before being sentenced for glassing a 17-year-old boy outside a Byron nightspot in September 2023.

“My ex partner was there … I asked everyone for a lift but couldn’t get one,” Pitt said.

“We saw you pick up a bottle and walk over to the victim and swing a bottle at his face … You were cranky at him and wanted to punish him for talking to your girlfriend,” the Crown said, after CCTV of the incident was played in court.

Johnathan David Pitt, 30 jailed for glassing a 17-year-old boy outside a Byron Pub in 2023.

Pitt said he didn’t intend to hit the boy with the bottle but he just ended up hitting him “in a rage”.

He told the court some of the victims friends wanted to “fight me over it” so he apologised.

Pitt then pushed over another man, one of the victim’s friends.

After the attack the teen had to be rushed to the Gold Coast University hospital and be operated on.

Lismore Courthouse on Zadoc Street.

Dr Michael Hurrell said the injuries to the victim were multiple lacerations on his cheek which completely transected the buccal parotid duct, or Stensen’s duct – which carries saliva to the mouth – and penetrated into the oral cavity.

The teen’s parents said their son was “scarred and traumatised” from the attack.

“He was completely innocent, and sole responsibility lies with the offender,” they said in their victim impact statement.

A psychologist’s report tendered to the court diagnosed Pitt with social anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, borderline personality disorder, and an alcohol abuse disorder currently in remission.

Judge Smith said the attack was spontaneous and unprovoked on a young man who was a stranger.

“I consider the use of alcohol was self medicating to control his mental health and this contributed to his offending,” the judge said.

Despite Pitt’s “genuine remorse” on the stand Judge Smith said Pitt has an “unpredictability” when he consumes alcohol and he was not satisfied Pitt would not reoffend.

Pitt was convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of two years and three months and ordered to pay a $400 fine.

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