Origin clash: Shane Andrew Foreman jailed for punching South Australian soldier at Seaview Hotel

A SOLDIER was left with horrific facial injuries after he was randomly attacked by a man at the Seaview Hotel.

• Camelia Jane Ketchup sentenced for vicious attack on sleeping woman
• Steven Cole sentenced for ‘premeditated’ attack in Townsville District Court.

A SOLDIER was left with horrific facial injuries after he was randomly attacked by a man at the Seaview Hotel.

It was State of Origin on June 5, 2019 when Shane Andrew Foreman, 31, punched the random man.

The Townsville District Court heard the man had told Foreman to go away twice after the two men became argumentative about Queensland winning the game.

When Foreman approached the man for a third time, he punched him in the side of the face while he was sitting down.

Crown prosecutor Amanda Payne said the victim was a soldier based in Adelaide and had sustained serious injuries including fractures to his eye socket, nose and jaw that required surgery.

Ms Payne presented Judge Michael Rackemann with a victim impact statement written by the soldier detailing the emotional and physical impacts of his injuries and the inability to carry out his duties in the Army.

The court heard Foreman was on bail at the time of the assault for offences preceding the June 2019 event.

Shane Andrew Foreman was sentenced to 18 months' jail for assault occasioning bodily harm.

Foreman was involved in an altercation on a Magnetic Island bus on New Year’s Eve 2018.

The court heard Foreman punched a passenger twice in the head after his mate initially attacked the victim on the bus.

He pleaded guilty to four offences including assault occasioning bodily harm.

Foreman’s defence barrister Dane Marley said his client had a dysfunctional upbringing and had an alcohol abuse problem but was now in remission.

“He has a major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder,” he said.

“He has indicated he is remorseful for his conduct.”

Mr Marley said Foreman was a father to four children and was worried about their welfare if he was to go to jail.

Judge Rackemann reminded Mr Marley having a family was not a get out of jail free card.

“It’s always a problem when people go to jail,” he said.

“They leave behind people who are disrupted but that can’t stop them from having to pay the price for their criminal acts.”

As Judge Rackemann summed up the case, Foreman sat wiping away tears in the dock.

He told Foreman he needed to “engage others” to help him on his road to rehabilitation.

“The offences are serious offences and as the prosecution pointed out, the injuries sustained from the State of Origin incident are towards the far end of bodily harm injuries,” he said.

Foreman was sentenced to 18 months’ jail.

A parole release date was set at August 26 this year.

Originally published as Origin clash: Shane Andrew Foreman jailed for punching South Australian soldier at Seaview Hotel