O’Boyle appeared in Albury Local Court for sentencing after two weeks ago seeking an adjournment from magistrate Tony Murray to get information about the likely impact of a conviction on a work visa application.

But it was conceded yesterday by O’Boyle, 37, of Smollett Street, Albury, that a conviction was unlikely to affect his work visa.

He said the processing of his application might be slowed as authorities considered his character.

O’Boyle, who has been in Australia for eight years, said he has been unable to work since December 12, 2012.

“I need to get back to work as soon as possible,” he said.

O’Boyle said he had worked as a barman at an Albury hotel and the incident with the guard should not have taken place.

Mr Murray said there really was no justification for what O’Boyle did.

The assault happened at the Zed Bar about 1.45am on September 29 last year.

Police said O’Boyle had argued with two security guards who had asked him to leave.

One guard had tried to escort him out after he fell asleep in a beer garden.

O’Boyle punched the guard in the face before being removed.

Police saw him being held against a wall and heard him using offensive language when they arrived.

He was handcuffed, taken to the police station, shown closed circuit footage of him throwing the punch and said: “But I missed him.”

O’Boyle said he had since apologised to staff, guards and the owner.

He told Mr Murray during his previous appearance he had suffered severe facial injuries when assaulted in Dean Street in December 2012 and had been taken into custody by immigration.

He had spent two months in Sydney’s Villawood Immigration Detention Centre because his visa had “subsided without my knowledge”.

O’Boyle said he had been under a lot of stress while obtaining a bridging visa and could not work, get legal aid or social security.