Terrigal coward punch: Thomas Maloney sentenced for gutless attack

A man has been sentenced for a sickening coward punch that broke the jaw of a former mate all because he befriended an ex-girlfriend, a court has heard. Warning graphic footage.

The victim never saw it coming.

Talking to three friends outside a popular Terrigal restaurant the young man is viciously blindsided by his former friend who kept running and didn’t even have the courage, or decency, to turn back and see what damage his “impulsive act” had done, a court has heard.

A court also heard the cowardly offender had since been bashed in jail. But not nearly bad enough to receive the same sort of horrific injuries as those suffered by his innocent victim.

The offender, Thomas Maloney, appeared via video link in Gosford Local Court on Friday where his mother — his only support person — sat in the front row.

Audible gasp: Maloney’s mother was shocked when she saw the footage in court of her gutless son. Picture: supplied

She let out a loud “gasp” as footage was played in court showing her once baby boy as crept up like a coward on the victim before breaking into a run, clocking him in the right side of the face and fleeing.

The footage shows the victim’s three friends, who were better placed to see what was coming, didn’t even realise what was afoot until their mate dropped to the ground shortly before 8pm on October 28 last year.

They gave chase along Campbell Parade and an agreed set of police facts states 30-year-old Maloney ran into a nearby lolly shop and hid on his knees.

The victim’s three friends entered the store where they demanded Maloney come outside but he threw lollies at them and yelled back as three young female staff members huddled in fear behind the cash register.

The shop owner was called and at one point he pushed Maloney out of the store room and back into the main part of the shop.

The victim’s friends, meanwhile, were waiting outside.

Maloney is captured on CCTV getting a run up before he punches his victim. Picture: supplied

The shop owner then tried to push Maloney outside but after lots of pushing and yelling Maloney remained inside until he bolts back through the storeroom and out into a rear lane about 8.20pm.

Police arrived and found Maloney’s mobile phone and car keys.

The victim was taken to Gosford Hospital where he underwent surgery to fix two fractures to his bottom jaw, which required wire, two metal plates and 10 screws.

The court heard his injuries were as close to grievous bodily harm as it gets.

Maloney, of Beamar Drive Wamberal, was picked up about 5pm the following day still in bed at a serviced apartment at Terrigal.

He declined to be interviewed but later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm against the victim and affray for the way he carried on in the lolly shop.

His victim was floored by the sickening hit. Picture: supplied

Maloney’s solicitor, leading criminal lawyer Samar Sing-Panwar, told the court his client came from a law abiding family and while a motive behind the senseless attack was “not clear” it appeared to have stemmed from an earlier argument.

Mr Sing-Panwar told the court the victim and Maloney had been friends until the victim befriended Maloney’s ex-girlfriend.

He told the court Maloney had been assaulted in custody “in relation to his offending”.

Magistrate Pauline Wright sentenced Maloney to a minimum non-parole period of 13 months jail.

He was also given a community corrections order for two years with 80 hours of community service.

With time served since his arrest Maloney will be eligible for release next month.