KARL Sibley 21, faced Orange District Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for the punch that left Orange teenager Tom Brown critically injured on Australia Day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
However, in a temporary reprieve from sentencing, Sibley’s solicitor Mason Manwaring successfully applied to Judge Colin Charteris for the court to wait for the findings of a psychological report on Sibley.
“I have just received a pre-sentence report for my client and this will be the genesis for a psychological report,” Mr Manwaring told the court.
Sibley, who has pleaded guilty to the single punch to Mr Brown’s head, was dressed neatly in a suit and sat at the back of the court for the brief appearance.
Department of Public Prosecutions solicitor Michael Fahy said he had no objection to the delay so a full psychological assessment could be carried out.
Last month, amended police facts presented to Orange Local Court and agreed to by Sibley said Mr Brown, who was 19 at the time of the offence, instigated the altercation between the two men after Mr Brown smashed Sibley’s drink from his hand, fell over, then “shaped up” to Sibley with closed fists.
Further police evidence presented to the court last month also stated Mr Brown had engaged in other anti-social behaviour at the party and had been asked to leave.
As he did so he called Sibley a derogatory name before knocking a beer from his hand.
Sibley and Brown then continued their altercation outside when the situation escalated and Sibley punched Brown once to the left side of the face.
The impact of the fall onto the road left Brown with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain, and he was flown to a Sydney hospital for treatment.
He remained in a coma for several weeks.
Sibley will be sentenced at the next sitting of the District Court in Orange in November.