Reagan John McGrath sentenced to jail for brawl where he punches two people, spits at elderly man

An aspiring warehouse worker punched two people in the face in separate fights at the Coomera Tavern before spitting on an elderly man in a third brawl outside the pub, a court has heard.

AN ASPIRING warehouse worker punched two people in the face in separate fights at the Coomera Tavern before spitting on an elderly man in a third brawl outside the pub.

The massive fight happened just hours after Reagan John McGrath, 20, and his group of friends had been kicked out of a Pimpama pub for “anti-social behaviour” on November 2 last year.

For his part in the brawls Magistrate Pamela Dowse sentenced McGrath to nine months prison to be released on May 10.

“I am sorry but I think it is dreadful, despicable and unacceptable,” she said.

“It calls for a period of actual time in prison.”

McGrath pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court to assault occasioning bodily harm, assault and affray.

Magistrate Dowse audibly gasped when the court was played footage of the fight showing McGrath, dressed in a white shirt and black cap, punching a security guard who was dealing with another unruly man about 9.20pm.

The security guard was left with a black eye.

The footage then showed McGrath punching a 53-year-old man twice after the man approached McGrath’s friend.

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McGrath then left and a brawl broke out just outside the tavern.

He is seen on the footage, running in from across the road, and beginning to punch people.

McGrath is clearly seen spitting towards an elderly man.

Police prosecutor Constable Lewis Butterfield told the court police had not been able to identify the elderly man.

Const Butterfield said the large amount of violence warranted a term in prison.

“It was a busy pub with a range of people there,” he said.

McGrath’s solicitor Ashkan Tai, of Ashkan Tai Lawyers, said his client has aspirations to get into warehousing and was currently studying while he looked for a job.

He tendered a reference from McGrath’s mother which said he had turned his life around since the brawl.