Former Warrnambool man pleads guilty over Gateway Plaza brawl

Jason King, 50, now of Horsham, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Tuesday to affray and other assault-related offences.

He was convicted, fined $800 and placed on a 15-month therapeutic correction order. The court heard the man was at Gateway Plaza with his teenage son on July 4, 2020 when a group of associates approached them in the food court at 12.20pm.

There was an exchange of words, one of the male associates shirt-fronted King and punches were thrown. The pair adopted fighting stances before the male associate held King to the ground.

King's son jumped in and punched the associate to the back. A second male associate became involved and pulled King's son away before the pair landed multiple punches on each other.

The lunchtime brawl was observed by 60 people with nearby parents shielding their children and elderly shoppers forced to take evasive action.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Fitzgerald said she had observed CCTV footage of the brawl and that the male associate initiated the fight.

King was later arrested, charged and released on bail. Then on December 9 that year, King approached a Whalers Freight employee at a Warrnambool car park.

Following a verbal exchange, King shoved the man into his van before throwing him to the ground. He then punched the victim to the right side of the head and was verbally abusive.

The court heard the victim later attended Warrnambool Base Hospital where a CT scan uncovered a depressed skull fracture.

Kirsty De Vercelli, representing King, said the man and the Whalers Freight employee had a long history following an incident with her client's dogs.

She said it was a coincidental meeting at the car park and her client reacted after feeling attacked and victimised. Ms de Vercelli said it was clear King was struggling socially at the time of the offending.

She said he had since moved to Horsham and had not reoffended since. Magistrate Franz Holzer said King's offending was "very ugly", particularly the affray at Gateway Plaza.

"This is offending in the middle of the day, at a high-volume public area with many, many people, staff, children and shoppers," he said.

"This is poor behaviour at every level. It creates a sense of unease in the community, people don't like to see that and nor should they."