Lavington man gets 18-month jail term, but will get to serve time in community

Magistrate Miranda Moody admitted to feeling "very angry" on Monday as she delivered a scathing dressing-down of Mason Richards.

"This is most serious offending indeed and this is also the offending of a coward," she said in Albury Local Court.

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"And then there's the disgraceful, shameful act of filming them (after the assault) as if he was taking some kind of pride in what he was doing.

"He could have killed somebody."

One of the two men Richards attacked suffered a fractured eye socket, which required surgery.

Ms Moody acknowledged Richards was only 20 but, as earlier submitted by prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Pike, "he's absolutely, 100 per cent crossed the threshold" for a jail sentence.

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Had she decided on full-time jail, Ms Moody would have had to adjourn sentencing to a later date under chief magistrate directions over COVID-19.

The Lavington man avoided full-time jail on the assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of others and assault occasioning actual bodily harm charges, she said, due to his age.

The two victims walked past Richards and a friend in Dean Street on May 8 about 12.20am.

They followed and, after crossing the Olive Street intersection, Richards threw a plastic bottle at the head of one of the men, who in response confronted Richard's mate.

Richards then punched the man seven times to the head.

When the victim tried to escape, Richards grabbed his shirt, pulled him back and threw him to the ground.

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He punched him to the head two more times as his friend held the other victim back.

Richards punched the second victim, threw him to the ground and unleashed another attack.

"The accused has kicked (the second man) with his right foot to the head before holding him down and punching him to the head about four times," police said.

Both continued punching the victims.

Defence lawyer Mitchell Irwin said Richards was remorseful, detailing comments he made in a sentence assessment report to being "disgusted" with his behaviour.

But Ms Moody doubted this was genuine, given Richards was on a conditional release order at the time for another assault.

She handed him an 18-month intensive corrections order requiring drug and alcohol counselling.

Richards must also do 200 hours of unpaid community work.

"You can see how close you came to full-time custody," Ms Moody said.

"I don't ever want to see you in this court again."

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