Judge tears strips off undie runner

BRAYDEN Hayes, who hit the headlines this year for his charitable run in his underwear, has been sentenced to six months in prison, wholly suspended, for assault.

Hayes, 23, of Cygnet, had pleaded guilty to headbutting and punching a man in the face last July 24.

Hayes’s lawyer told the court that Hayes had been at the Observatory Bar with his girlfriend and both were standing at the top of a set of stairs when a group of men pushed past, causing his girlfriend to stumble down a few stairs.

The court heard Hayes was upset by this and the couple left the venue, but again came across the men where, after multiple verbal exchanges, Mr Hayes headbutted the victim and punched him in the face.

Hayes’s lawyer said he had “let his emotions get the better of him” and he was extremely remorseful.

The electrician was in the spotlight in March when he ran more than 300km from Hobart to his hometown of Burnie in his underwear for charity. He raised $40,000, the court was told.

Burnie Mayor Anita Dow provided a character reference for the assault case, congratulating him on his fundraising efforts and endorsing his good behaviour.

In the Supreme Court in Hobart yesterday, Justice Shan Tennent said Hayes had headbutted the victim “without warning” but she accepted that the behaviour was out of character.

She said a deterrent sentence was required because of the ongoing issue of violence on Hobart’s waterfront to show Hayes and others that “there will be consequences of violence in public areas”.

He was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended, provided he be of good behaviour for two years.

“You’ve been given a second chance,” Justice Tennent told Hayes.