A YOUNG Koroit man will be barred from entering Warrnambool’s CBD at night for the next 12 months after punching a man and knocking him out.
Cameron Anders, 21, of Penshurst-Warrnambool Road, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court this week to recklessly causing injury.
The court heard that on September 1 this year, Anders had been drinking at a local hotel before heading to the Gallery Nightclub.
About 2.15am on September 2, Anders and a friend were involved in a scuffle with another group of males before security guards intervened and ejected them from the nightclub. Later, while walking along Timor Street, Anders saw one of the men involved in the scuffle, the court heard.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Sandra Skilton said the two men “exchanged words” before “the victim backed away with open hand held in front of him”. Anders then threw a punch, hitting the victim in the jaw. The victim fell over, hitting his head on the footpath and knocking him unconcious for about five minutes.
The court heard Anders fled the scene before an ambulance came to take the victim to hospital, where he received stitches to his lip and was released soon after.
Sergeant Skilton applied for Anders to be banned from the Warrnambool CBD between the hours of 10pm and 6am for the next 12 months.
Defence counsel Xavier Farrelly said his client believed the victim was going to be violent towards him and disputed that the victim had raised his hands in the air.
He also described the punch as “an over-reaction”.
“He was quite scared by what he’d done,” Mr Farrelly said.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt described Anders as “one of the luckiest young men in Warrnambool”.
“Had the victim in this case fallen slightly differently ... he could have suffered a very serious injury or even died,” Mr Klestadt said. Anders was also convicted and fined $1500.
