Australian Defence Force soldier Lachlan Hobson sent to prison over Mayberry club bashing

A young soldier who shattered the jaw of another man in a brutal Darwin nightclub bashing has learnt his fate. Read the latest from court here.

A young soldier involved in a three-minute brutal bashing in a Top End nightclub will spend the next 11 months in a jail cell.

On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Meredith Huntingford sentenced Lachlan Hobson to prison after he was found guilty of unlawfully causing serious harm and assaulting a worker at the Mayberry nightclub on January 15, 2023.

During his October Supreme Court trial Hobson claimed he was acting in self defence when he shattered another man’s jaw, arguing his Australian Defence Force training spurred him to take a “preemptive strike” against his intoxicated victim.

The jury heard after Hobson’s victim refused to shake his hand, the 21-year-old soldier unleashed a flurry of punches before kneeing an intoxicated man in the face.

Australian Defence Force member Lachlan Hobson, 21, has been found guilty of a drunken nightclub assault.

Hobson acted “in sync” with his friend, co-offender and fellow soldier Nicholas John Mocerino, asking him to ‘back him up’, hold his sunglasses and keep watch so he could fight the other man “unheaded”.

After Hobson was pulled away, his co-accused ran in with a final kick and punch to the head causing the man to lose consciousness.

The jury heard the victim’s jaw was broken in two places, leaving him with complex facial fractures.

Lachlan Hobson was found guilty of unlawfully causing serious harm and assaulting a worker at the Mayberry nightclub on January 15, 2023. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Justice Huntingford previously heard the “sought after” reconnaissance platoon member was on track to a “very bright future in the military” until this fateful night.

“He had a very promising career that’s no longer there as an option for him,” defence barrister Matthew Hubber said.

“It’s been devastating for him.”

Mr Hubber said Hobson had since left the army and was living in Brisbane with family until the guilty verdict resulted in his bail being revoked.

Ms Huntingford sentenced Hobson to four years and six months in prison, suspended after 11 months.

He will be released on a three year, and one month good behaviour bond.

Mocerino recently lost his appeal over his eight month prison term for negligently causing serious harm.