Ramesh Mainali pleads guilty to affray after carpark brawl in southern Sydney

A Coles manager gave a thumbs up when leaving court after admitting to his involvement in car park brawl after a booze-up at a Hurstville pub.

Ramesh Mainali leaves Sutherland Local Court on September 9 after pleading guilty to affray.

A Coles manager who glassed a man for making “inappropriate comments” about his wife started a car park brawl with him months later when their paths crossed again.

Ramesh Mainali, 30, fronted Sutherland Local Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to affray.

The plea comes less than a year after Mainali was sentenced to a 12-month intensive correction order following the glassing incident involving the same man, Manik Karki, at the Royal Hotel in Carlton on July 5, 2023.

Court documents state Mainali, of Kogarah, was drinking with a group of friends and his wife until about 1.30am when three men approached them.

Mainali’s wife said the trio made inappropriate comments about her which led the offender and a friend to confront the group, leading to a scuffle in which he grabbed a glass and used it to hit Karki over the head.

But only four months after the case was finalised in court in December, 2023, Mainali and Karki met again.

Ramesh Mainali pleaded guilty to affray. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

Court documents state Karki arrived at the Meridian Hotel in Hurstville with friends on March 1 when he noticed Mainali was also at the hotel.

He went straight into the gaming room and “tried to avoid the accused for the remainder of the night”.

However, when Karki left when the hotel closed at 4am, Mainali also walked out with several of Karki’s friends.

The two began arguing, court documents state, before Mainali got into his car and started driving through the car park.

He suddenly stopped his car, got out and pushed Karki.

The shove sparked an all-in brawl as two others, including Prakash Karki, tried to intervene before multiple punches were thrown.

Court documents state at some point, Mainali hit Manik in the back of the head.

Ramesh Mainali said he was “very happy” to have two charges were withdrawn. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

Ramesh Mainali will be sentenced at Sutherland Local Court later this month. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

When police arrived about 6.15am they separated the brawlers and spoke to a drunken Mainali, who claimed he had been punched by multiple men despite having no visible injuries.

In court on Monday, Mainali’s lawyer Elizabeth Logan submitted her client wanted to resolve the case and was willing to plead guilty to affray after two assault charges were withdrawn.

Ms Logan submitted Mainali would also agree to a two-year apprehended violence order for the protection of Manik.

Magistrate Jillian Kiely accepted the submissions and allowed Mainali to walk free from court with his bail continued.

Outside court, Mainali gave a thumbs up and said he felt “pretty good” and “very happy” to have two charges withdrawn.

He will appear before Sutherland Local Court later this year for sentencing.

Manik and Prakash were both sentenced to conditional release orders without conviction in June after they pleaded guilty to affray for their involvement.