Daniel Michael Eagle, 35, of Fairbairn Drive Corio, yesterday pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to aggravated assault and recklessly causing injury.

The court heard on on August 7 last year a group of women entering a Warrnambool nightclub were laughing after one of them fell over.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Kevin Mullins said Eagle threatened the group despite them telling him they were not laughing at him.

When Eagle dropped his keys the victim had put her foot on them and a second woman picked them up. Eagle had  threatened to pull knuckle-dusters out of his pocket, spat in the face of one of the women, swung one of them around and punched her in the face. She suffered swelling to her left eye.

Defence counsel Vince Peters said his client’s actions were reactive rather than proactive.

Eagle received a three-month jail sentence, wholly suspended for 18 months, a $750 fine and was given an exclusion order from the Warrnambool CBD from 10pm till 6am for 12 months.