You could have killed him
A DRUNKEN teenage thug could have killed the promising Bell Park footballer he attacked in Geelong’s CBD, a court was told yesterday.
Magistrate Michael Coghlan said Cameron Large’s youth and clean criminal past saved him from being jailed for the attack on Ryrie St just before midnight on May 20.
He heard Large, 19, punched Bell Park footballer Joshua Jokic five or six times to the head, knocking him out before his head slammed backwards on to the road.
After the attack the defendant yelled abuse at his victim and ran off, but returned a short time later and was detained by security staff at the nearby Slate Pool Lounge.
In a victim impact statement tendered to court Jokic, also 19, detailed the pain, anxiety and inconvenience the attack caused him and the effect on his family.
He said he had missed work and fallen behind with his football, was nervous about going out with friends and was uncertain about the long-term physical impacts of the hit.
“My plans have all been disrupted, dislocated and fragmented all because of an unprovoked assault,” he said.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Chris Capuano said the victim’s injuries included a large gash on the back of his head and a swollen jaw, but could easily have been much worse. “Luckily for him he didn’t have any permanent damage,” the prosecutor said.
“It’s a very serious example of an alcohol-fuelled, violent incident. The community has had enough of these, police have had enough, and a strong message needs to be sent.”
He urged Mr Coghlan to jail the defendant.
Large told police after the attack he became aggressive because the victim called him a “Lara scumbag”. Pressed for further explanation in court yesterday, Large — who had no legal representation — said “it was just me being stupid . . . I don’t really have nothing to say for myself”.
“How many times do you have to see on the news someone losing their life because of a one-punch attack?,” Mr Coghlan asked.
He ordered Large complete 150 hours of unpaid community work as part of a community corrections order, warning him he would be jailed if he did not comply.