Travis Burles: ‘Paranoid’ pub drunk punched stranger at Sands Hotel
A Carrum Downs boozer felled a fellow drinker, knocking him clean off his stool, because he “wasn’t feeling great that day”.
South East
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A Carrum Downs local punched a random pub-goer in the head because he was “paranoid”, a court has heard.
Travis Burles attacked a complete stranger for no reason after he had been drinking heavily at The Sands Hotel venue.
Burles, a 44-year-old disability pensioner, pleaded guilty to unlawful assault at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The court heard the victim had been dining with his family at the pub on September 7, 2019.
Burles walked over to the man and hit him, knocking him off his stool and onto the ground.
Security pounced on Burles, who was a well-known local at the hotel, and kicked him out.
The victim complained to the manager of soreness to his shoulder — but he was also drunk and also thrown out.
The next day he reported it to police and attended a medical clinic for treatment to his shoulder and left ear.
Cops then arrested Burles who told them he was “paranoid”, hearing voices and “wasn’t feeling great that day” when he launched the unprovoked attack.
He said he was very sorry for what happened and wanted to apologise directly to the victim.
Defence lawyer Hannah Fink said Burles had longstanding issues with his mental health and at the time his symptoms were not being managed very well.
She said since then her client had completely avoided pubs and had not touched alcohol.
Magistrate Richard Pithouse said the other man was also intoxicated, and it had been more than two years since the offending.
“It was an act of violence in a hotel, albeit the victim had been a nuisance and was ejected himself,” Mr Pithouse said.
“There was no ongoing injury.
“But there is a community displeasure of people who have fights inside pubs.”
Burles was convicted and fined $500.
