Javien Wallace: Ryde carpenter sentenced over Bayview Hotel assault

A carpenter from Sydney’s northern suburbs punched a stranger without warning, knocking him unconscious, at a popular neighbourhood watering hole.

Javien Wallace (right) leaving Hornsby Local Court

A young carpenter punched a stranger without warning, knocking him unconscious, after a night drinking at a popular northern Sydney pub, a court has heard.

Ryde man Javien Wallace, 27, fronted Hornsby Local Court after pleading guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.

Agreed police facts tendered to the court lay out how Wallace found himself arrested after a night drinking at Gladesville’s Bayview Hotel.

On August 10, the facts state Wallace was in the hotel’s pokie room with his partner.

“At 12:06am, (Wallace) … stops the victim on the aisle of the gaming room engaging in a brief conversation with him,” agreed police facts state.

Javien Wallace leaving Hornsby Local Court.

“(Wallace) has then, without warning, struck the victim’s left hand side of the face causing the victim to fall to the ground, striking the right side of his head on ground and losing consciousness for approximately 17 seconds.”

When police arrived, they noticed Wallace was drunk and when they asked him about the assault, the carpenter said: “I just assaulted a bloke because I was protecting my missus from being raped”, court documents state.

Javien Wallace.

In court, Wallace’s defence lawyer said his client is a marine and bridge carpenter who was protected from being around his partner when she was drinking by an apprehended violence order (AVO).

On the night of the offence Wallace was looking after his partner because he didn’t want her to drink too much, the defence said.

The defence also told the court Wallace had drunk about five pints of alcohol when he formed the incorrect belief the victim was hitting on his partner.

But Magistrate Alexander Mijovich told the court Wallace was not being responsible when he chose to drink with his partner, particularly as she was not allowed to drink in his company.

“(You) didn’t go to security … you decided to deck somebody who is unconscious on the floor,” Mr Mijovich said, referring to when Wallace thought the victim harassed his partner.

“A total stranger gets knocked to the ground by someone affected by alcohol,” he added.

He convicted Wallace, fined him $1000 and sentenced him to a 12-month community correction order (CCO).