Adam Parker, 35, of Bolden Avenue, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court this week to unlawful assault.

Magistrate Peter Mellas said it was good to see Parker’s work and hobbies had not got in the way of the defendant appearing in court every year for the past five or six years.

Defence counsel Matt Senia agreed his client had been a regular offender when under the influence of alcohol.

Police told the court that at 9pm on November 10 last year Parker and a friend went to Warrnambool’s City Memorial Bowls Club where they intended to have a drink.

The pair went straight to the smokers’ room before Parker’s friend went to a gaming room, where he came in contact with the victim.

The friend brought up the subject of a verbal argument which happened a number of years previously involving the victim and Parker.

When the victim came out of the gaming room, Parker approached him quickly and threw an “air punch”, his intention being not to strike the victim but to frighten him.

Later Parker admitted to police to taking a wild swing at the victim which “missed by a mile”.

The incident was captured on the bowls club’s security cameras.

Mr Mellas said the public should not be subjected to such intimidating behaviour and Parker had an entrenched history of drinking alcohol and offending.

He said Parker had been caught drink-driving in the past as well as threatening and assaulting people.

The magistrate said fines were no longer appropriate and he imposed a two-week jail sentence, which was suspended for 12 months.

Mr Mellas warned Parker to make better decisions about how he lived his life or he would end up spending time in jail.