Zlatan Popovic: ‘16 months I believe is a lot for common assault’
A 48-year-old man convicted of murdering Dragan Sekuljica in a Wollongong nightclub has fronted court to appeal the severity of a common assault conviction.
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A 48-year-old man already convicted of murdering Dragan Sekuljica in a Wollongong nightclub has fronted court to appeal the severity of a common assault conviction and ask for bail.
Zlatan Popovic, who is serving 24 years in prison over a contract killing inside Splashes Nightclub 13 years ago, appeared in Lithgow Local Court via audio visual link, telling Magistrate Cate Follent “16 months, I believe, is a lot for common assault”.
Magistrate Follent convicted and sentenced Popovic to 16 months’ jail time on February 14 for the alleged assault of a fellow inmate at Lithgow Correctional Centre on January 30.
According to a police statement, about 11.10am on January 30 Popovic got into a verbal argument with fellow inmate, Tamir Altanbagana, before punching him in the head with a clenched left fist.
“The force of this punch caused the victim to rock backwards on his chair,” the statement said.
It says the victim was then kneed in the head by another inmate, Josaia Qalovaki, causing him to hit the back of his head on a table and fall face down onto the floor, losing consciousness for a short period of time.
When he sat back on his chair, “he was unsteady with his upper body swaying” and “began to bleed from an injury to his face and nose”, about 20 to 25 minutes later losing consciousness, according to the statement.
The victim, who suffered swelling to his lip, bruising to his right inner thigh and left knee, was airlifted to Liverpool Hospital and remained there as a patient for a few days before being treated at Lithgow Hospital.
The incident was captured on CCTV, with incident investigators concluding the accused was not responsible for the injuries sustained by the victim, the police statement said.
Popovic told the court he has already served 7½ years’ jail for an offence he didn’t commit, making reference to the 2007 murder of Mr Sekuljica, and that it would be “a miscarriage of justice” if he was refused bail on the prison common assault.
He said he has “two beautiful children”, for which he cares through his mother, and “community ties”.
“When I did serve my sentences I always appeared in court. I’ve also done everything that the courts have ever ordered me to do,” Popovic said.
The prosecuting sergeant said releasing Popovic on bail poses an “unacceptable” public safety risk as he “has a history of violence on his record”.
In her sentencing remarks Magistrate Follent agreed Popovic has an “extensive history of violence on his record”, including for manslaughter in 2001 and murder in 2014.
She accepted his community ties appear to be “strong” and that he’s not contesting the finding of guilt, concluding the sentence was a “reasonable” one.
“I have determined that bail be refused … the application for release is refused,” Magistrate Follent said.
After being excused Popovic politely told the magistrate “thank you” and to “have a nice day.”