A 24-YEAR-OLD Nashdale man received a nine-month suspended jail sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm in Orange Local Court on Monday.
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Cameron Paul Vardanega was sentenced for an assault on a former school friend after they had a falling out, which a police statement attributed to being over a girl they were both interested in.
A police report into the matter stated Mr Vardanega was at a Summer Street hotel with friends on April 16, 2016 when he spotted the victim at the same hotel and about 1am he approached the victim and punched him in the face.
According to the police statement the victim did not realise Mr Vardanega was in the hotel and was not looking when he was punched and required three stitches over his left eye as a result of the assault.
Mr Vardanega was apprehended the following day at 8.45am.
Mr Vardanega pleaded guilty to the assault and was represented by Legal Aid solicitor Peter Ringbauer.
Mr Ringbauer said his client had lived with family all his life, except for a short period when he worked in the mines in Queensland.
There had been some words and there was some push and shove.
- Legal Aid solicitor Peter Ringbauer
He said since returning Mr Vardanega “fell into a pattern of going out for one to two drinks which became seven to eight,” which he said contributed to the situation on the night of the assault.
He said that was the situation his client was in when he went to talk to the victim about comments he believed the victim had said about him in relation to their falling out.
“There had been some words and there was some push and shove,” Mr Ringbauer said.
He said others at the hotel had attempted to hold the pair apart and acknowledged his client did punch the victim drawing blood.
He noted that Mr Vardanega entered a guilty plea, had cooperated with police and the court and is addressing the drinking that led to the assault.
Magistrate Terry Lucas said Mr Vardanega could face two years in jail but instead sentenced him to a suspended nine month jail sentence saying if he re offends he will go to jail.