Welsh rugby union prop Craig Mitchell has been ordered to pay a retired judge’s son $3000 after knocking him out while celebrating the British and Irish Lions’ weekend win over the Wallabies at a Brisbane pub.
Mitchell, who has represented his country in Test matches, was also sentenced to six months in jail, wholly suspended for two years, and fined $1800 over the incident.
He was arrested early Sunday morning after king hitting Cian Barry at the Normanby Hotel.
Mr Barry, who is the son of retired Family Court Justice James Barry, received stitches under his eye and to his cheek, and has damaged vision as a result of the unprovoked attack.
Mitchell apologised to Mr Barry after Magistrate Anne Thacker handed down her sentence on Friday.
‘‘My actions ... were totally unacceptable and unforgivable,’’ he told Mr Barry in the courtroom.
‘‘I hope you recover from your injuries and I’m truly sorry.’’
But Mr Barry said the apology meant nothing.
He said it was clear Mitchell should have served time behind bars given the brutal nature of the attack, but the magistrate was constrained by legislation.
Mr Barry called on the government to impose tougher sentences on people who engage in unprovoked attacks.
‘‘He comes running in from 10 metres away on the side and smashes me off my feet,’’ Mr Barry told reporters outside court, referring to the pub’s CCTV footage.
‘‘It was horrendous. It was unprovoked violence, everyone’s had enough of it.’’
The court was told Mr Barry had been trying to smooth over an altercation between his friends and a group of Lions supporters after some jovial sporting banter turned sour.
He was first punched by Welsh tourist Richard Andrew Davies, and then by Mitchell, who travelled to Australia to watch the game.
Ms Thacker on Thursday fined Davies $1000 and ordered he pay Mr Barry $2000 compensation.
On Friday, she told Mitchell he needed to be made an example of.
‘‘It has to deter other Australians from this sort of behaviour at football matches,’’ she told Mitchell.
His passport will be surrendered to the court until he can pay his fine and compensation. A conviction was recorded.