Gashed after glassing

Jealousy, alcohol mix led to assault in bar

A CAIRNS tree lopper boozed up on beers and “a very dangerous mix of alcoholic spirits” has narrowly avoided jail for glassing a mate who had started dating his former long-term girlfriend.

Adrian Asi, 20, had been partying at Gilligans, but sought out his former friend after hearing a rumour he was in the Woolshed late one night last May, walked up behind where he was seated in a booth and struck him in the face.

As he was being dragged out by security he then hurled a glass at the victim 3m away.

It hit him in the face, causing facial wounds, including a gash that needed eight stitches.

The Cairns Magistrates Court heard that almost two months after the incident he confessed to police, telling them he had heard that night his ex-mate wanted to punch him so he decided to act first.

Police prosecutor Megan Howard said he told officers the victim had assaulted him earlier in the year, which he did not report to police, and this was his retaliation.

“That was his headspace and his feeling towards the complainant,” Ms Howard said. “(He said he) slapped the complainant ‘without him seeing it happening’.”

The court heard he had been dating his girlfriend for three years before the relationship broke down and she began seeing his friend.

Defence solicitor Brydie Bilic said Asi, the youngest of 11 children, conceded the offending was a “very serious offence”, but he had been heavily intoxicated at the time after downing multiple Coronas and “a very dangerous mix of alcoholic spirits”.

“That does not excuse his behaviour,” she said.

The court was told the two have had no contact since, although Asi was remorseful.

Asi had pleaded guilty to four charges at an earlier date – assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed, common assault, disqualified driving and contravening a direction.

The court heard the other two charges relate to a separate incident on July 14 last year when he was pulled over and gave a false name to police before it was realised his driver’s licence was disqualified earlier that year.

Magistrate Catherine Benson sentenced him to 15 months’ jail with immediate parole and ordered him to pay $2000 compensation to the victim.

He also had his licence disqualified for a further two years and fined $750.