Solicitor Andrew Abraham said Callum John James Bates, 24, of Turner Cresent, was not involved in the affray that took place at the Lords Place taxi rank about 2.15am on January 1, 2020.

According to police, officers saw him stumble across the road towards the taxi rank and left him alone because they thought he was joining the taxi line.

However, he was still there when police were again called to the taxi rank about 3.25pm due to more violence involving unrelated people.

Police told him and two other males who were sitting in the shelter, away from the line for a taxi, to move on and the two other males started to leave but Bates, who appeared to be intoxicated, became argumentative and belligerent.

He became more aggressive when police took hold of him so he was handcuffed and placed in the back of the caged vehicle.

Police told him they would take him home but Bates refused and said he would catch a taxi back to the park so police took him to Orange Police Station and he spent the night in custody.

Magistrate David Day said the offending was aggravated by Bates' "very lengthy record for such a young man".

Bates was fined $220 for refusing to comply with a direction. He was fined another $220 for behaving in an offensive manner and was convicted without further charge for failing to appear in court on February 24.

Mr Abraham said he did not attend court because he thought it was on a later date.