Man avoids jail following knockout punch at pub

A YOUNG man has avoided serving jail time for an assault outside a Kirwan pub.

Daniel Shaun Jones, 21, faced Townsville Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm over an alcohol- fuelled attack where he knocked another man to the ground with a single punch and then ran away.

The court heard Jones and the victim met through a mutual friend at The Avenues Tavern on August 11, 2016.

Police prosecutor Len Brown said Jones had an altercation with the other man and was kicked out of the premises.

About an hour after that the two were in the carpark and the other man reportedly asked Jones why he wanted to fight.

“As the victim has said this he’s turned his head away from the defendant … it’s at this time the defendant has swung the right arm with a closed fist and connected with the victim’s jaw,” Mr Brown said.

“The defendant stumbled, fell to the ground and hit his head on the concrete.”

The court heard the victim remained unconscious for seven minutes and suf- fered ongoing pain on the back of his head for about three weeks.

Defence solicitor Alexander Raeburn said during the evening Jones ran into a female school friend when the other man “decided to say something silly, that that was his girlfriend and what was he doing”.

“My client instructs that upon that remark being made the girl said ‘ don’t even know who this guy is’.” Mr Raeburn said the incident sparked a verbal altercation.

Jones received a 12- month suspended sentence and was ordered to pay $ 1000 compensation to the victim.