Yaak Chol Dau faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court after he ‘coward punched’ a man at a Toowoomba CBD hotel

As police were escorting a man from a CBD hotel, a 22-year-old man came from the side to ‘coward punch’ a third young man in full view of the officers. Here’s what happened in court.

A 22-year-old man who “coward punched” a man in the face in front of police escorting another man out of a CBD hotel has been placed on probation and ordered to do community service.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told that while police were escorting a young man out of the venue, he had engaged in a verbal exchange with another man who was then approached by a drunk Yaak Chol Dau who punched the other man in the face, causing him to fall.

Dau had then run off up the street, the court was told.

Police prosecutor Rohan Brewster-Webb described the incident as “gratuitous violence in the CBD” and claimed though Dau had only thrown one punch, it was “cowardly” coming from the side.

The victim sustained bruising and a lump on the forehead from the blow and it had occurred in the presence of police who had the situation under control, he said.

Mr Brewster-Webb said Dau already had six pages of criminal history including previous public nuisance type offences.

Dau pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.

His solicitor Joe McConnell said it was accepted the incident was a “serious offence” and was “alcohol fuelled violence”.

His client was Sudanese born and had endured a difficult childhood and instructed that in the lead up to the offence there had been some “racial slurs”.

Magistrate Louise Shephard told Dau that the incident “had nothing to do with you” and that “you coward punched him to the face”.

Reminding the 22-year-old that “one punch can kill”, Ms Shephard said it was fortunate that the victim wasn’t more seriously hurt.

Ms Shephard placed Dau on two years probation and ordered he complete 200 hours of unpaid community service “to give back to the community”.