Mixed martial arts up-and-comer Jake Treyvaud sentenced for south coast pub affray

An aspiring martial arts Olympian who trained with the likes of Alexander Volkanovski has been jailed after he used his wrestling expertise against a man during a wild pub brawl.

Jake Treyvaud has been sentenced for affray.

A promising mixed martial arts fighter who aspired to walk in the footsteps of the great Alexander Volkanovski has his dreams hanging by a thread after a brutal attack outside a pub.

Jake James Treyvaud, 22, appeared from custody in Nowra District Court to be sentenced on Thursday after he had been found guilty of affray at trial of earlier this year.

Judge Christopher O’Brien sentenced the Nowra man to two years and six months of full time custody with a non parole period of 18 months.

The decision comes after a lawyerless Treyvaud faced a sentencing hearing earlier this month, where he showed some fight while contesting the jury’s verdict.

“It was me that was unexpectedly attacked,” the offender said, recounting his “version of events”.

Jake Treyvaud (right) pictured with UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski (left), with whom he has trained with as a professional fighter.

Judge O’Brien halted Treyvaud, stating he would “not make that finding” or “accept” the brawler’s account.

However, the court heard Treyvaud had suffered a spiral when the Covid-19 pandemic impacted his material arts with the young man mustering a relatively erudite plea for leniency.

“I would like you to take into consideration special circumstances,” he said while choking back tears.

“I did start falling into drugs and I couldn’t be motivated to work outside and be with my family.

“I am over being in this jail – jail is not fixing me, I am getting institutionalised, I am getting into fights and getting assaulted.”

The agreed facts read to the court by Judge O’Brien revealed the wild details of the Huskisson Hotel brawl on the evening of March 27, 2021.

After arriving at the victim’s car outside the pub, stern words were shared between the victim and Treyvaud, before the wannabe martial arts Olympian grabbed the victim and body slammed him into the grass.

The victim stumbled away, putting his hands into the air in a bid to stop the confrontation, knowing Treyvaud was an “expertise” at martial arts, having represented Australia in the sport.

Jake Treyvaud was sentenced in the Nowra District Court.

However, Treyvaud continued to attack the victim, continuously punching him in the head, causing multiple abrasions.

The court heard the victim managed to crawl back into the car, where his friends drove him home before he was taken to the Shoalhaven Hospital.

He suffered cuts to his head and lips which required stitches and a possible dislocated shoulder.

Treyvaud, who was 18 at the time, was later arrested and charged.

However, the court heard that despite this being the 22-year-old’s most serious offence, it was not his only assault.

Judge O’Brien listed his previous offending the same year, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and destroy or damage property.

He revealed Treyvaud had already spent three years in custody by the time his trial for the Huskisson Hotel brawl was before the courts.

“He has been in custody since he was 18,” Judge O’Brien said.

This factor was considered by Judge O’Brien when sentencing Treyvaud, saying he showed “poor” rehabilitation prospects.

He said he would need to find a sentence that addressed the seriousness of the offence without creating a situation where Treyvaud would become institutionalised in prison.

With time already served, Treyvaud will be eligible for release on December 19 this year.

“That’s seven days,” Judge O’Brien told an emotional Treyvaud.

The full term will expire in December 2025.

“If you come back before the court with assault offences, you will be going away for a very long time,” Judge O’Brien said.

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