Man learns fate over violent attack on elderly man at Sydney nightspot

A Sydney man has learned his fate over a violent attack on an elderly man at a popular nightspot over a pair of glasses.

A Sydney man who is alleged to have murdered his partner has been jailed for several months for a separate, violent attack at a Surry Hills nightspot half a year earlier.

Rory Schade, 32, watched on via videolink from prison on Thursday morning as he was sentenced in Downing Centre Local Court for an assault of an elderly man during a late-night attack in November last year.

Schade is in custody on remand after being arrested and charged over the alleged murder of his male partner during an altercation at an Auburn unit.

He has yet to enter pleas to the murder charge and has been in custody on remand since his arrest in May this year.

The Auburn unit where Rory Schade allegedly murdered his partner. Picture: NewsWire/Jeremy Piper.

At the time, Schade had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in relation to a separate assault at Surry Hills six months earlier after he failed to appear in court.

He subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and failing to appear in accordance with bail acknowledgment.

The court heard the Burwood man approached his elderly victim about 5.20am at the Universal Hotel on Oxford Street on November 25 last year.

According to documents tendered to the court, Schade approached the man and said: “You have my glasses, give me back my glasses”.

The court heard on Thursday he had been experiencing auditory hallucinations and mental health issues at the time.

The two had never met before and the victim did not know what he meant, according to a statement of police facts.

Schade had another confrontation with the man outside the toilets which turned violent after he pushed the elderly victim in the chest.

He began yelling at the victim and pointing his finger before punching him in the face.

When the victim fell to the ground, Schade punched the man in the chest another two times.

The altercation was captured on CCTV.

Schade was arrested but was too intoxicated to take part in a police interview.

The altercation occurred inside the Universal Hotel. Picture: Google/Supplied.

His solicitor asked that the court not impose any other penalty against him, considering he was set to be in custody on remand for a long period of time on the murder charge.

His defence also asked Magistrate Daniel Covington to take into account his mental health problems and the significant disadvantage and violence he had experienced in his youth.

The court heard that at the time of the incident, he had not taken his medication in a week and was experiencing auditory hallucinations when he confronted the man about his glasses.

The court heard Schade suffered from borderline personality disorder and bipolar.

Since then he had expressed “overwhelming guilt” for the incident and had written a letter to the court expressing his remorse, the court was told.

Mr Covington said Schade was guilty of using a “not insignificant degree of violence” against an elderly man who couldn’t defend himself.

Schade was sentenced to five months jail, expiring October 22 this year.

He remains bail refused on the murder charge, with that matter to return to court later this year.

Originally published as Man learns fate over violent attack on elderly man at Sydney nightspot