Lucian Lethborg: Launceston tattoo artist assaulted woman

A Tasmanian tattoo artist assaulted a woman during an argument, a court has heard, but claimed it was an attempt to grab her to prevent her from tumbling off a balcony.

A Tasmanian tattoo artist who pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman claimed he was actually attempting to save her life by stopping her from tumbling off a balcony when he grabbed at her and pushed her into a wall.

South Launceston man Lucian Alexander Blackberry-Nicholls, who goes by the name Lucian Lethborg, 25, pleaded guilty in Launceston Magistrates Court on Thursday to the charge of common assault.

The incident occurred about 7pm on December 14 last year following an argument between the pair.

As Blackberry-Nicholls went to leave the residence he “pushed (his victim) into the corner of a doorway,” the court heard.

He was arrested in relation to another matter on December 31 and interviewed by police on January 1, 2022, where he told officers he “doesn’t have the best of memory” but claimed the assault was an attempt to stop the woman tumbling off the balcony, the court heard.

Blackberry-Nicholls claimed he simply “grabbed (his victim) by the waist and pushed her back inside the house”.

Defence lawyer Andrew Lonergan told the court his client assaulted the woman in a situation where there were “high emotions”.

Magistrate Ken Stanton accepted the offence was at the “lower end of the scale of seriousness”.

He placed Blackberry-Nicholls on a 12-month good-behaviour bond and imposed costs of $89.30.

No conviction was recorded.