Junchi Li fronts court for assaulting his best friend

A disgruntled boyfriend turned on his best mate during a night of carousing at a karaoke bar after he thought he saw his buddy kissing his wife.

Junchi Li beat his best friend who he thought had kissed his wife outside a karaoke bar so badly the latter was unresponsive for 12 hours after arriving at The Alfred.

A Melbourne father who bashed his best mate outside a karaoke bar after claiming he saw him kissing his wife is pleading for a non-custodial sentence.

Junchi Li, 26, of Docklands, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to one charge of intentionally causing injury after the horrific assault outside the Princess Pool and Karaoke Bar in Carnegie about 18 months ago.

Magistrate Rohan Lawrence adjourned sentencing until Thursday for Corrections to assess Li for a community corrections order.

Crown prosecutor Sarah Goegan told the court that Li and his wife invited the victim to drinks at the Carnegie bar on the evening of August 12, 2023.

Shortly after midnight, she said Li saw his wife and the victim kissing on the footpath and aggressively walked towards him.

He pushed the victim to the ground, dragged him towards a gutter and kicked him to the head six to seven times.

An intoxicated Junchi Li bashed his best friend after seeing the latter kissing his wife outside a karaoke bar.

The victim tried to cover his head with his arms to protect himself while he attempted to get back on his feet but fell on his back.

Li then sat on top of him and repeatedly punched him to the head, despite the intervention of Li’s wife and another person.

Even after two security guards moved him away, Li ran back to the victim and kicked him twice to the head, with the assault lasting between six and seven minutes.

Li told police he assaulted his friend because he saw him kissing his wife. The victim was unresponsive for at least 12 hours after arriving at The Alfred and spent five days in hospital.

Defence lawyer Michael Pena-Rees said it was a gross over reaction on Li’s part and that he has since unsuccessfully tried to contact his best friend to offer financial help.

He said the amount of alcohol consumed by Li was such that he was incapable of being spoke to by police at the scene.

Mr Pena-Rees said Li realised he had overstepped the boundaries of good behaviour and advocated for a non-custodial sentence.

The prosecution submitted that a term of imprisonment was appropriate, given the prolonged assault and the fact that Li continued to attack his best friend despite the intervention of a number of people.

Li is on bail to appear for sentencing on January 30.