No jail for brute who knocked out a man in a one-punch attack outside Berwick’s Lava Lounge
A brute with a machine gun tattooed on his face was partying at a Berwick nightclub when he met a man and even became Facebook friends with him. But the friendship turned sour after a late-night altercation that descended into “gratuitous violence”.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A one-punch thug who erupted into violence outside the Lava Lounge in Berwick, knocking a man unconscious with a single blow, has walked free from court.
Luke Stephens, sporting a machine gun tattoo on his face, slouched and rolled his eyes through the hearing, earning him a scolding from Magistrate Tara Hartnett for his “negative body language”.
But despite the rebuke, he walked away with 300 hours of community work after pleading guilty to common law assault at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The 27-year-old has a prior for violence after pleading guilty to an assault on his parents — who were in court to support him — several years ago.
The court heard he had been partying with mates at the Lava Lounge on the evening of November 24 last year, chatting with a variety of people, including the man who he would later punch.
He even became Facebook friends with the victim and exchanged handshakes with him.
But when Stephens’ group left the venue at 2am the next morning, there was a verbal altercation with the victim’s group of mates.
Things became heated and there was a brawl.
Stephens watched on, then king hit the victim as the man wrestled with other drinkers outside the High St nightclub.
The vicious and unprovoked punch knocked the man out, and he was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises.
When ambulances and police were called Stephens’ group fled, but he was soon arrested.
In court his defence lawyer said Stephens, who is a “fit and athletic” runner for a waste management company that removes hard rubbish from median strips, was not wholly to blame.
He said the man that was punched was antagonistic and aggressive, and Stephens believed he may have had a knife, so acted first.
He said the incident was not a coward punch assault on an innocent stranger and was a reaction to a heated situation.
COWARD PUNCHER RYAN WELLS JAILED FOR 6 MONTHS
DRUNK THUG'S JAIL TERM SLASHED
SON SLAPPED WITH BOND FOR PUNCHING MUM
Magistrate Tara Hartnett said it was a “very nasty” attack which needed to be denounced.
“I accept there were altercations, but he comes from behind and strikes him,” Ms Hartnett said.
“It was a particularly ugly incident, it was gratuitous violence, unnecessary violence that people die from. Any hit to the head carries a risk of death.”
Ms Hartnett admonished Stephens, who appeared disinterested inside the courtroom, telling him to stop with his “negative body language”.
She said he was extremely close to going to jail but instead gave him a significant 18-month community corrections order with 300 hours of community work. He was also convicted.
She said if he breached the order he would be jailed, and any more violent acts would mean he would be spending a long time in custody.