Hobart DJ Astro Labe sentenced to six months jail for headbutting former PM Tony Abbott

A SELF-proclaimed anarchist who headbutted former prime minister Tony Abbott during the same-sex marriage campaign has been sentenced to jail.

A SELF-proclaimed anarchist who headbutted former prime minister Tony Abbott during the same-sex marriage campaign has been sentenced to six months’ jail.

Hobart DJ Astro Labe, 38, avoided a larger sentence today when he was sentenced for causing harm to a Commonwealth official.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.

Labe, who pleaded guilty to the offence in January, was sentenced to six months jail today but will be eligible for release after just two months.

The attack occurred on the Hobart waterfront last year during the same-sex marriage debate when Mr Abbott was in town for a ‘no’ campaign event.

At the time, Mr Abbott used the attack to highlight the “ugliness” of some same-sex marriage supporters.

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Astro Labe will spent at least two months in jail for headbutting former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Picture: AAP

“If you don’t want to be pushed around by activists, vote ‘no,” he said.

But Labe later told media the attack had “nothing to do” with same-sex marriage.

He was wearing a Yes campaign pin at the time but said he only attacked Mr Abbott because he wanted to headbutt “a fascist”.

“It was nothing to do with the ‘yes’ campaign, that was just a sticker that a friend stuck on me,” he said.

“[It] was just a lifelong ambition to headbutt a fascist because I’m a skinhead that likes ska music and hates fascism.

“He’s an evil c***, I’m an anarchist and I believe in human rights.”

Labe, from North Hobart, also admitted he had been drinking prior to the incident.

“It was nothing really remotely to do with that. It’s just about Tony Abbott — The f***ing worm that he is,” Labe told News Corp Australia.

“All it was is I saw Tony Abbott and I’d had half a skinful and I wanted to nut the c***.”

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Tony Abbott has not sought extra protection since the incident. Picture: AAP

He said he had been drinking at a Hobart waterfront hotel when he had seen Mr Abbott walk past. His version of what followed was almost identical to Mr Abbott’s.

“I was like ‘Tony, Tony’, I kind of trotted up behind him. I trotted up behind him, ‘I just want to shake your hand and just went bang. Kind of missed it. Gave him a fat lip.

The barista and bartender says he returned to the pub and had a couple of shots of scotch.

Abbott spoke out about the attack, saying he was unharmed but disturbed by what he described as the bullying tactics of some in the ‘Yes’ campaign.

“It is shock to have a fellow Australian seeking to shake your hand turn a handshake into an assault,” he told reporters in Hobart.

“Normally a handshake is a sign of trust and peace, it is a sign of two people wanting to deal openly and courteously with each other, but this handshake turned into a headbutt.

“I think it’s sad that this debate has come to that and my plea to everyone in the remaining weeks of this debate is to keep it courteous, keep is it respectful, but above all else, respect the values, the institutions that have shaped us since the beginning of our journey and which I think should continue to shape us as we move forward as one cohesive country.”

The former Prime Minister vowed to continue speaking out for his beliefs and said he would not be seeking extra protection.

“I think it is a great thing that Australian politicians mix freely with the people,” he said.

“I think it would be a sad thing if that was ever not possible and certainly it’s my intention to continue going about the sorts of things that I do as member for Warringah and as a former prime minister in as free and as easy a way as possible.”