Klair Davis and Peter Murphy sentenced in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court over All Season’s Hotel bar brawl with off-duty cops
A Bendigo couple got into a brawl with two-off duty cops after a sleazy comment kicked off the stoush in the smokers’ section of a busy pub.
Bendigo
Don't miss out on the headlines from Bendigo. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Bendigo couple brawled with two off-duty police officers in the smokers’ section of a bar because one of the cops made a dirty comment about the woman’s body, a court has heard.
Klair Davis, 25 of Ascot, and Peter Murphy, 26, of Kangaroo Flat, pleaded guilty in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Friday to fighting two off-duty police officers which quickly devolved into a scrap in the smokers’ section of the All Seasons Resort Hotel in Strathdale on August 26 last year.
The couple’s defence lawyer Martin Amad told the court the fight was “sparked” when one of the officers allegedly asked Mr Murphy “What’s your favourite part of (Ms Davis’s) body”?
CCTV captured the ensuing chaos, as Ms Davis shoved the cop in response and slapped him in the face while Mr Murphy tried to punch one of the cops and missed.
The court heard the officer then went to slap the woman, but stopped before it connected with her.
Mr Murphy then grabbed the man by the shift front in response and started “dragging him around the room”.
The other cop grabbed Mr Murphy to try to stop him and Ms Davis started punching and kicking the officer grabbing Mr Murphy.
CCTV footage captured Mr Murphy punching one of the officers and throwing a bar stool, while Ms Murphy pushed a table into one of them and threw a glass before security broke up the scuffle and threw the couple out.
Mr Amad said Mr Murphy was trying to protect the “mother of his child” after the two off-duty officers instigated the brawl with the derogatory comment.
Mr Amad told Magistrate Russell Kelly no injuries were sustained in the fracas and Mr Murphy, an apprentice butcher, and Ms Davis, who is 21 weeks pregnant, shouldn’t be convicted over the relatively minor incident.
Mr Kelly said the couple’s reaction was over the top and the fight shouldn’t have happened, but “accepted the circumstances”, putting them both on good behaviour bond for 12 months without conviction.
The couple were also ordered to each pay $500 to community charities and stay out of trouble.
Bendigo sale and auction results, week ending May 17
See the latest auction and sales results in Bendigo for last week.
‘Rod’s rape spot’: Echuca grub appeals shotgun rape conviction
An Echuca grub who abused a woman at his “rape spot” claimed his conviction should be thrown out because his victim told the jury he had allegedly threatened to kill her children.