Leneva man already had a conviction for affray when he attacked stranger

Chevy Chambers punched the man at least 15 times before returning to dance with a group of friends at Beer Deluxe early on Christmas morning.

Defence lawyer Tim Hemsley told Albury Local Court magistrate Sally McLaughlin that excess drinking was the background to the Leneva man's offending, as it was the previous time.

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Chambers was going to fight the charges laid by police at a hearing before Ms McLaughlin.

But at the last minute he changed his plea to guilty after police withdrew two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The 20-year-old will be sentenced in six weeks' time for affray and common assault, the second count replacing the more serious assault charges.

Prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Pike said it was accepted the injury suffered by the victim of a blood nose was "trifling".

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He said the victim of Chambers' assault had travelled from Adelaide to give evidence at yesterday's hearing, as had a witness from Melbourne.

Sergeant Pike said the victim had moved home from Alice Springs since the assault "out of fear of retribution" from Chambers.

Police told the court Chambers was among about 70 people on the outside dance floor at Beer Deluxe at 12.40am when the victim and another man began to argue.

The other man pushed the victim and a punch was thrown before the pair were separated.

Police said it was then that Chambers stepped in and punched the victim to the head.

"The accused threw about 15 punches at the accused, with some of them connecting with his face," the court heard.

The victim "stumbled away" after the attack.

A woman standing close by was then grabbed and punched in the face by a man, but police said this wasn't related to Chambers' assault.

Chambers will be sentenced on August 24.

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