New Zealander Steven Williame Smith, 27, jailed over Mitchell St assault on Northern Territory Police Constable Nick Carter

A DRUNK New Zealander who committed a brutal, unprovoked assault on police has failed in his bid to avoid jail time

Police officer, Constable Nick Carter, was attacked outside Monsoons night club

A DRUNK New Zealander who committed a brutal, unprovoked assault on police has failed in his bid to avoid jail time.

Steven Williame Smith, 27, pleaded guilty in Darwin Local Court on Monday to two counts of assaulting police and one count of disorderly behaviour, after punching Constable Nick Carter in the face and throwing another haymaker at Constable Carter’s partner.

The court heard Smith and his mates had been ejected from Opium Nightclub and were refused entry into Monsoons, when Smith turned on the two police.

“(Smith) began yelling and screaming, blaming them for being refused entry,” prosecutor Ian Rowbottam said.

The court heard Constable Carter was off work for five days and has no memory of the assault.

Defence lawyer Felicity Fuller said Smith was “heavily inebriated” on the night and that there were exceptional circumstances that meant he should avoid doing actual jail time..

Ms Fuller said Smith did not enjoy his three days behind bars on remand and had written to Constable Carter to apologise.

“Mr Smith offers no explanation for his behaviour ... he has a number of friends who are police officers and he has respect for their role in the community,” she said.

“Understandably he was not a welcome guest at the Darwin watch house.”

She said Smith, who was supported by a large contingent of family and friends, was a good father to his children and had a number of “glowing” written references.

She said Smith had once planned to be a lawyer and would lose his current job if convicted.

Prosecutor Ian Rowbottam said Smith should serve time behind bars.

“We have, in the very centre of violence in Darwin, on Mitchell Street, outside Monsoons, a policeman being punched to the face with such force that he was unable to remember the assault and its aftermath,” he said.

“This is a man just trying to go about a job, keeping peace and order.”

“The reality is that nothing is exceptional in relation to this man.”

Judge Michael Carey said “intoxicated men” were responsible for serious assaults “every weekend in Darwin city.”

He sentenced Smith to six months jail, suspended after three months served.