Landscaper Patrick Fallon, 25, pleads guilty to affray after Queanbeyan Hotel glassing

The victim of a pub glassing by a Canberra landscaper refused to co-operate with police – and conceded to a court he may have started the wild blue which landed his best friend in court.

Patrick Fallon leaving Queanbeyan Local Court at a previous occasion.

A Campbell landscaper who glassed his best mate in a pub has avoided jail-time after the victim refused to help police with their investigation.

Patrick Fallon smashed an empty schooner glass into his friend’s face during a wild argument at the Queanbeyan Hotel just after midnight on August 6, 2023.

The wild act was captured on the pub’s CCTV, according to agreed facts tendered to Queanbeyan Local Court on Monday.

Fallon pleaded guilty to affray and damaging property.

The 25-year-old and his mate who were “best friends” drank several schooners throughout the night of August 5 last year.

Patrick Fallon pleaded guilty to affray and damage property.

Fallon and his friend began to argue about 12.40am.

Security footage captured Fallon swinging his right hand towards the victim’s face while holding the glass.

The glass smashed against the victim’s cheek, causing cuts and scratches to the left side of the victim’s face.

Fallon then walked around the table and kicked the victim from his chair to the ground.

Police state Fallon continued, grabbing two chairs and throwing them at his mate, cracking a door at the pub.

Both men threw punches before they fell to the ground and were separated by security.

Following the chaos, the victim said did not want to make an assault complaint and was “unwilling” to help police with investigations.

Patrick Fallon has ties to southeast Queensland.

Several days later, Fallon went Queanbeyan Police Station and expressed remorse.

He told police he put his actions down to alcohol and should have walked away.

Defence barrister Kieran Ginges told the court on Monday the attack was out of character and Fallon, a landscaper, came from a background which inspired sympathy and admiration.

The court heard Fallon was close to becoming a fully-qualified landscaper that he studied at the Canberra Institute of Technology.

Magistrate Roger Clisdell told the court the victim had provided a letter of support for Fallon.

The victim wrote that he could be a “problem” when he drank and he may have started the fight.

Mr Clisdell said Fallon came from a “fairly broken upbringing” but turned his life around.

The court was told Fallon paid to fix the damaged pub door.

Fallon was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community correction order.

He was also fined $400.