Anthony Spanos sentenced for throwing glass at partner in Kingsgrove pub

An Illawong man has learnt his fate for injuring his girlfriend with shards of broken glass when they fought at a south Sydney pub.

Anthony Spanos, 39, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in Sutherland Local Court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A recruiter who was in an alcohol and drug-fuelled relationship with a woman nearly half his age has learnt his fate for throwing a glass at her during a heated argument at a pub.

Anthony Spanos, 39, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday to a charge of reckless assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Agreed facts tendered to the court said the Illawong man and a 21-year-old woman had been in a relationship for 14 months but were not living together.

The couple rented a room at the Kingsgrove Hotel on February 3, but were arguing about their relationship three days later.

They agreed to go to the hotel’s beer garden for a drink about 6pm where Spanos was seen shouting at his girlfriend.

Spanos got up while the woman remained seated and walked away, holding his glass drink.

On Tuesday, Anthony Spanos was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court.

After 10 metres, Spanos turned and threw the glass at her, which shattered when it hit the bench seat next to her.

A glass fragment cut her upper thigh, causing a minor laceration.

Spanos walked away but returned seconds later when he saw a hotel staff member giving first aid to the woman.

He said, “sorry, I didn’t mean for that to hit you”.

The couple left the scene before the police arrived. Officers spoke to staff and were alerted to Spanos, who was walking out of the hotel.

Police spoke to him, and he said, “the glass just slipped. It was an accident”.

Spanos was arrested and charged.

In court, Spanos’ lawyer said his client “regrets” his actions, and described the incident as “abhorrent”.

The court heard Spanos tried to apologise to the woman on a number of occasions, which breached a non-contact condition of an apprehended violence order made for the woman’s protection.

The lawyer said Spanos’ actions were “reckless” as opposed to intentional and fell towards the lower end of objective seriousness.

The court heard the relationship was “heavily fuelled by the use of cocaine and alcohol” but had since ended, and Spanos had been drug free since October 2022.

Magistrate Jillian Kiely took Spanos’ rehabilitation into account, but said the behaviour was “not appropriate”.

Spanos was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order.