Jess Alan Barnes came before Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to the assault charges and also admitted to breaching a bond imposed by the same court over an earlier graffiti spree.

The court was told the incident in August came just moments after the 39-year-old escaped conviction for spraying graffiti on 20 CBD businesses while drunk and under the influence of "heavy-duty" prescription drugs.

Barnes pushed one reporter to the ground and grabbed the arm of the second reporter as they tried to get comment from him as he left the court.

His defence counsel said while his actions were unacceptable, they involved a lapse of judgment and came only after he was "accosted" by a "herd" of reporters.

The court was told he initially ignored them but reacted when they continued to confront him.

It also heard that since the incident had aired on television, Barnes had received a number of death threats from people who now recognised him.

These included a comment from one person who, while he was working, told him "he should get what's coming to him" and threats from other people who came up to him in the street.

Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos said the reporters were just doing their job and were often targeted outside court.

She said Barnes "should have walked away and ignored them".

But Ms Kossiavelos said he was grappling with serious mental health issues at the time and accepted his offences were out of character.

She said Barnes had an impressive CV, having worked overseas for 10 years, and was unlikely to commit similar offences again.

The magistrate left his initial 12-month good behaviour bond for the graffiti offences in place and imposed a second, 18-month bond, on the two assault charges.

In both cases, she did not record a conviction.

Australian Associated Press