A king hit in the Octagon which left a Mosgiel man with a broken jaw, unable to eat solids for five weeks, was not a rare occurrence, according to a judge.
Judge Michael Crosbie said the case was one of a plethora of similar instances that had come before him recently.
“A significant percentage of violence cases that come before this court are in the CBD, in the early hours of the morning,” he said.
“This court needs to send a message on a local basis that that sort of offending won't be tolerated and can't be tolerated in a civilised society.”
Dunedin scaffolder Jamie-Lee Phillip Allum (21) previously admitted a charge of injuring by an unlawful before the Dunedin District Court.
At 2am on January 29, he saw a man arguing with a woman outside Night and Day in the Octagon.
Allum stood closer to hear what was being said and without warning, punched the man in the face.
The defendant later told police he thought the victim was going to hit the female.
“You were, I'm told, highly intoxicated. You'd been consuming bourbon-and-cola RTDs for five hours,” the judge said.
“You really were in no position to judge what was going on.”
The victim, Wade Bovey - who made headlines for drink-driving on a motorised picnic table just two days earlier - had his jaw broken.
He needed a week off work because he was drowsy from medication and could not chew for five weeks, which he described as “particularly annoying”.
Mr Bovey was still having headaches as a result of the attack.
While on bail, on April 6, Allum added a second offence to his rap sheet.
He was driving on Pine Hill Rd at 2.30am when he failed to take a right-hand bend and collided with a barrier.
Allum and his passenger were taken to hospital for examination and police breathalysed him when he was discharged.
He blew a reading of 656mcg – more than twice the legal limit.
Judge Crosbie said it was clear alcohol was at the heart of Allum's problems and he imposed six months' supervision to address that.
Allum was also sentenced to four months' community detention, 140 hours' community work and he was banned from driving for nine months.
The judge ordered he pay Mr Bovey $1000 for the emotional harm caused.
