A “cranky” boyfriend was put on his backside after a lover’s quarrel prompted him to punch a stranger in a random attack.
Mackinnon Frederick Johnston had just had a heated argument with his girlfriend on November 14 in Noosa Heads when he purposefully ran into a group of men about midnight.
“The defendant walked down the footpath … towards the group of males,” prosecutor Nichale Bool said.
“He dropped his shoulder and walked into the shoulder of each member of the group.”
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Ms Bool said Johnston got into a fight with one of the men who confronted him about his actions.
“The defendant and the male began pushing and shoving each other before it appeared the defendant put the other man in head lock,” she said.
“The defendant forcibly struck the male in the right ear with a closed fist.
“The other male forcibly punched the defendant in the mouth with a close fist, the defendant was knocked backwards onto his bottom and the other male walked off rejoining the group.”
Police, who were at a bus stop 20m away, arrested both men.
Ms Bool said the intoxicated 20 year old declined first aid and denied any wrongdoing.
“The defendant continued to be belligerent and argumentative, he was arrested and released into the care of his mother,” she said.
Johnston pleaded guilty in Noosa Magistrates Court on Tuesday to one count of public nuisance.
Duty lawyer Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown said Johnston had no recollection of the incident and was shocked by his behaviour.
“It’s a bit of a wakeup call to how much alcohol he drinks,” he said.
Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin said the Sunrise Beach resident was lucky not to be facing assault charges.
“When there is uncalled for physical violence against strangers out on the street that’s about as bad as it can get as a public nuisance,” he said.
Mr McLaughlin said Johnston’s urge “to punch something” was dangerous and terrible behaviour.
“You’ve had an argument with your girlfriend, so you were cranky, you’ve walked down the road and started being aggressive towards complete strangers coming the other way,” he said.
“It’s stupid stuff.”
Johnstone was fined $400.
No conviction was recorded.