Headbutter’s booze woe DJ admits to attack on Abbott
A HOBART DJ who assaulted former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has since sought treatment for his “excessive use of alcohol”, a court has heard.
Appearing in the Magistrates Court in Hobart yesterday before Deputy Chief Magistrate Michael Daly, Astro Labe, 38, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing harm to a commonwealth official.
The court heard Labe had been drinking beer at The Whaler pub in Salamanca Place with friends for about 5½ hours on the day of the September 21 assault and rated himself as being six out of 10 drunk.
He told police he had seen Mr Abbott walking into Salamanca Square and he had said to his friends he wanted to headbutt him.
When he later saw him leaving, Labe followed the former PM about 250m along Morrison St, asked to shake his hand and then headbutted him.
The prosecution said Labe had said to Mr Abbott that he “f---ing deserved it”.
He told police that he thought interviews he did with national media were funny.
The court heard that Labe told media “I saw Tony Abbott and I’d had half a skinful and I wanted to nut the c---” and that “legally, I’m remorseful”.
The self-described lone anarchist said he did not think it was an opportunity he would get again.
The prosecutor described the incident as “an unprovoked, deliberate and intentional physical act that occurred without warning” and that Labe had shown little remorse as demonstrated in the interviews given to media after the event.
Labe’s lawyer Craig Mackie said his Victorian-born client had lived in Tasmania since 1996, had no significant assets and had never previously assaulted someone.
He said Labe was a peaceful person by nature and had since sought counselling to deal with his “excessive use of alcohol”.
Labe will not be sentenced until March 22.
He was bailed to reappear then.