SECURITY cameras have captured a violent and unprovoked king-hit attack on a man outside Sweethearts.
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Zac Warren Barton, 19, appeared to have no reason to attack the victim on June 16.
The pair didn’t know each other and had not had any prior dealings before the incident.
The victim had watched Bliss and Eso at the SS&A Club earlier in the night and made his way to the Dean Street pizza outlet after the gig.
At about 11.50pm, Barton and a group of his mates walked up to the man and accused him of being “cheeky” earlier in the night.
The victim had had a few drinks and could not respond, and Barton punched him five times in the face.
The impact caused him to lose his balance and fall onto a table.
Barton left the area, with the victim in a large amount of pain, with swelling around his eye.
Police said he had been left distressed.
“The victim was extremely upset and confused as to why he was attacked in such a manner, given the unprovoked behaviour from the accused, and that he didn’t have any adequate chance of defending himself,” Albury Local Court heard.
The Wodonga offender had been given a “move on” order from The Bended Elbow 10 minutes earlier, and was also ordered to leave the CBD.
He also had a curfew between 10pm and 8am.
Police went to Barton’s Nicole Crescent home the following day and arrested him, but he declined an interview.
Officers described the attack as “cowardly”, with the teenager at some risk of going to jail.
“In the opinion of police, these actions would be deemed as unprovoked, reckless and cowardly, particularly given the vulnerability of the victim at the time of this incident,” the court heard.
“These actions would cause any reasonable person to fear for their safety and well-being, with no plausible explanation offered by the accused for his actions.”
Magistrate Rodney Brender said there was a risk Barton would go to prison for the incident.
Barton will return to court on November 15.
