A young man who left a Hobart nightclub and falsely accused a stranger of taking advantage of a woman has been sentenced for a “cowardly” assault.
Jayden David Tapp pleaded guilty to one count of assault after the incident in early December 2022, which left the victim with a fractured cheekbone and lacerated eyelid.
According to Acting Justice Shane Marshall, Tapp and the victim were near Observatory Bar on the city’s waterfront around 4:30am on December 4 when the assault took place.
The court heard that the victim was talking to a female friend a short distance from the club when Tapp approached and verbally abused him, accusing him of making a move on the woman.
As the victim tried to walk away, Tapp punched him in the head with a closed fist 16 times.
“A vision of the incident shows a series of rapid fire punches which caught the complainant totally unaware,” Justice Marshall said.
“The assault occurred over a mere eight second period. It was cowardly in the extreme, especially given that after the third punch the complainant had fallen to the ground.”
The victim required surgery for a damaged drainage system in the corner of his right eye and still experiences numbness on the right side of his face.
He also suffers from anxiety in public places and was left unable to work for weeks following the attack.
Tapp told police he was drunk, angry and just lost control at the time. He said he felt bad about the injuries that he had caused.
Justice Marshall sentenced Tapp to 18 months of home detention, with strict conditions including staying home between 6pm and 6am on weekdays and 4pm to 12am on weekends.
He also ordered Tapp to complete 75 hours of community service within the next 24 months.
