RELATED CONTENT: ‘Brutal’ breakfast brawl erupts in Bay cafe
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Three men involved in a violent breakfast brawl which shocked onlookers at a Batemans Bay cafe have been convicted.
Alex Carlos Bourne, 29, and Aofangatukau Langi, 28, both of the ACT, were fined $5000 and placed on two-year good behaviour bonds on Monday, May 8, after pleading guilty to affray.
Robert McCloskey, 41, of North Batemans Bay, received a $3000 fine and was ordered to perform 250 hours community service during his March 20 court appearance. McCloskey also pleaded guilty to affray.
Families, tourists and staff at Clyde Treats Petite Yum watched in horror when the brawl erupted between six men inside the shop, before spilling onto North Street, on October 24, 2016.
Police said Bourne, Langi and another man were having breakfast at the store when McCloskey confronted them about money.
McCloskey struck Langi in the face with his fist, prompting the other two men to retaliate.
An onslaught of punches followed, before two of McCloskey’s employees entered the shop.
The fracas continued for more than 15 minutes, with the men striking each other with metal cafe chairs, causing a bloody scene and irreparable damage.
During the altercation, McCloskey yelled out “I want my money” to which Langi replied “You could have just come in here and talked”.
The fight spilled onto the street, where the unknown man stomped on McCloskey’s head repeatedly, while punching him in the face and kicking him in the torso and legs.
Police said people in the street and at a nearby bus stop witnessed the confrontation.
“The incident was of such a violent nature, that a number of people nearby did not attempt to intervene,” police said.
A staff member captured some of the violence on his mobile phone while calling police.
The unknown man stomped on McCloskey’s head repeatedly, while punching him in the face and kicking him in the torso and legs
CCTV footage showed Langi, Bourne and the unknown man leave the scene in a Holden Commodore while McCloskey recovered outside with his two employees.
When shown footage of the brawl during a police interview, McCloskey told officers, “No wonder my head hurts.”
Magistrate Doug Dick described the incident as “outrageous” and “terrible” during Langi’s sentencing in Batemans Bay Local Court on May 8.
He said the violence had provoked the shop’s owners to sell the business.
Bourne was sentenced via audio-visual link on the same day and remains in custody at Nowra’s South Coast Correctional Centre for unrelated matters.
Police said McCloskey had a ‘Rebels’ tattoo on his torso.
He has a lengthy criminal record, which includes prior convictions for affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
McCloskey, Langi and Bourne have been ordered to attend personal development sessions as part of their rehabilitation.
