Former Albury man warned to 'get off the grog' after savage attack in bar

Ziggy Barry Anthony Kennedy, who has a previous conviction over a Dean Street brawl, also bit the woman on the knuckle of her left hand and coughed into her face.

Prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Pike said it was a "serious assault" that if it didn't cross the threshold for a jail sentence would at least justify the preparation of a sentence assessment report.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The attack troubled magistrate Richard Funston.

"It's a very serious matter," he told defence lawyer Jack Murray.

"I mean, what was he thinking?"

Mr Murray said Kennedy was "entirely embarrassed and ashamed" by what he did.

He said his client, who turned 25 on Thursday, now worked in Sydney as a scaffolder and had returned to Albury for a friend's birthday.

The assault took place on November 13.

"He drank too much and behaved reprehensibly," Mr Murray said.

MORE COURT STORIES

"He has some significant trauma; there was a lot of violence in the home as a child.

"He understands he's very close to going to jail for this type of behaviour."

Kennedy, from the Sydney suburb of Ruse, pleaded guilty to a single charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court was told Kennedy and the victim had known each other through mutual friends for quite some time, but had lost contact "for many years".

Both were at the Zed Bar in Dean Street when he slapped her "numerous" times throughout the night and pulled her hair.

He coughed on the woman before lunging towards her, striking her with the wine glass.

The glass broke, inflicting several lacerations.

The woman then left the bar, yelling: "Someone help, someone help, please."

Mr Funston told Kennedy, who he fined $1500 and placed on a 12-month community corrections order, that he had to "do something" about his drinking problem, "because when you drink, you're angry".

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: