Ashley Murphy: Boozer punched, spat on Cranbourne hotel heckler
Beers, jeers: A well-oiled Cranbourne tradie didn’t take kindly to a drinker’s barracking when kicked out of The Settlement for being sloshed.
South East
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A tanked-up thug attacked a stranger who had taunted him as he was being kicked out of a pub for being too drunk, a court has heard.
Ashley Patric Murphy punched and spat on a man after the bloke had cheered on bouncers as he was being booted out of the Cranbourne hotel.
The Cranbourne 32-year-old bricklayer also attacked his former girlfriend and hit an ice-smoking partner in other violent incidents.
He pleaded guilty to a series of assaults, drugs, driving, bail and court order breach charges at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard in April 2018 an intoxicated Murphy was with mates at The Settlement when he went to the bar to order more beverages.
When he was refused service he verbally abused a bartender and bouncers came over to chuck him out.
As he was being led away he broke free and punched a man, who had been cheering on security staff, in the face.
After he was then thrown out into the carpark Murphy spat at the man twice over the courtyard fence before he was whisked away by a mate.
In December 2018 his car was pulled over as he was on his way to do community work, although he shouldn’t have been driving as he had lost his licence earlier that year for refusing a drug test.
In May 2019 he assaulted his heavily pregnant partner by grabbing her around her neck and pushing her to the ground, and in October 2019 he drove while high on cannabis and ice.
In March this year he assaulted a drug-using mate at a Capel Sound cabin, punching her to the face after she had cut him with a broken ice pipe.
Defence lawyer Brett Barratt said Murphy had serious issues with alcohol and drugs, and struggled to remember the pub fight incident.
He said his client had a “genuine regret for his actions”, a “desire to reform himself” and knows his “inability to control his emotions” leads to his violent offending.
He said Murphy was aware the 125 days he had already spent in custody would not be enough jail time and requested he be placed on a treatment order when released.
Magistrate Suzette Dootjes agreed, saying he will indeed be spending longer behind bars.
She said a corrections order would be beneficial for him and also for the community, and sent him to be assessed.
Murphy was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on July 15.
