Samuel Octavious Pacey, 25 pleads guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm after Metropole Hotel bashing

A reveller at a Northern Rivers pub was left with a broken nose, damage to his teeth and an array of other injuries after a brutal pub bashing over a toilet door run-in. Here’s what happened.

Pacey outside Lismore Local Court. He has pleaded guilty to the pub attack.

A reveller at a Northern Rivers pub was left suffering a broken nose, separated upper lip, cuts to his face and damage to his teeth after a brutal pub bashing over a toilet door run-in.

Samuel Octavious Pacey, 25, went on the attack after the 24-year-old victim slapped a drink out of his partner’s hand at the Hotel Metropole on Lismore race day on September 22 last year.

It’s alleged his friend Brendan Orchard was also involved in the beating.

Pacey’s partner had a run-in with the man after he bumped her with a toilet door. Pacey then went on the attack, the court heard. Picture: iStock

Lismore Local Court was told Pacey from Dunoon later refused to answer police questions and told officers the man he bashed should have been charged for knocking the drink away.

Pacey faced the court on Monday, pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The victim opened a toilet door on the upper floor of the pub into Pacey’s partner.

She pushed the door back into him before they exchanged “heated words”.

The court was told Pacey’s partner splashed her drink onto the man’s back and he retaliated by slapping it from her hands.

CCTV footage shows the man shoving Orchard out of the way.

Pacey grabbed the man and started punching him and it’s alleged Orchard entered the fray soon after.

Pub patrons broke up the incident, but Pacey managed to knee the victim in the head as he was being dragged off.

“As a result of the assault the victim received a number of injuries, including a fractured nose, separated upper lip, facial lacerations and swelling, as well as a chipped tooth,” police state in court documents.

Pacey questioned why the victim wasn’t charged for slapping a drink from a woman’s hand. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty

Police identified Pacey via the footage and attended his home on June 26 this year.

“Pacey replied ‘no comment’ to every question asked in relation to the incident, however, the accused did state ‘shouldn’t the victim get charged for smacking the drink out of her hand’,” the documents state.

Magistrate Michael Dakin told the court the offending was “serious” and Pacey was “well affected by alcohol” at the time of the bashing.

Defence lawyer Paul Smart said Pacey attend the races in Lismore and started “drinking early”.

But he said Pacey came before the court with no prior criminal history.

Orchard, who is also represented by Mr Smart, has also been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The solicitor told the court Orchard would also be pleading guilty at a later date.

Ahead of sentencing, Pacey’s case was adjourned to October 16.