Anthony Wright assaulted stranger at Bexley North pizza shop

A Bexley North man has claimed in court he was too drunk to remember an unprovoked fight with a group of strangers outside a pizza shop last year.

Anthony Wright, 30, was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday after he started a fight with a group of people outside a pizza shop while drunk. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A drunken thug who bit a man during an unprovoked fight out the front of a pizza shop has narrowly avoided full-time jail.

Anthony James Wright, 30, of North Bexley was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday to an intensive correction order for 18 months for a charge of affray.

Agreed facts tendered to court said Wright was out with two mates drinking at Bexley North Hotel on November 28 last year.

After leaving, the trio walked past a group of people sitting outside a pizza shop on Shaw Street.

Wright made a comment to the group, continued walking then came back and stood in the middle of the group.

Wright got involved in a verbal disagreement with members of the group before he moved into an aggressive stance while his mate tried to prevent a conflict.

The other people stood up when Wright took off his shirt and waved his hands around in an attempt to fight members of the group.

Anthony Wright was sentenced to an intensive correction order in Sutherland Local Court.

Wright’s victim attempted to walk away, but he chased him down and started a physical fight.

In self defence, the victim put Wright in a headlock in an attempt to calm him down, which prompted Wright to bite the man’s arm.

In court, Wright’s lawyer Kel Clowry conceded his client instigated the fight and was too drunk to remember what happened.

He said Wright had previously had a drug problem before getting clean, but then turned to alcohol.

Mr Clowry said Wright had not drunk alcohol since the incident and was still dealing with the grief of his mother’s death.

“Since the incident, he is really behaving himself and is working hard,” Mr Clowry said.

The lawyer submitted Wright should be placed on a jail sentence to be served in the community because it would act “like a noose around his neck” and would give him a chance to “prove his worth”.

The court heard Wright was supported by his sister and a member of a Cronulla Aboriginal community organisation, which would help provide assistance to him.

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly said the incident had “common characteristics” of affray, involving young males, out late at night who were “grossly intoxicated”, and involved violence.

“The incident was ugly,” he said. “There was a disturbance and breach of peace”.

Mr Donnelly took into account Wright’s criminal history which involved matters of violence.

He accepted Wright was remorseful and had taken steps to address his alcohol and grief issues.

Wright was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service, be abstinent from drugs and alcohols, and complete anger management courses.