A man was trying to calm his friend over a dispute with an
ex-girlfriend when it backfired and he was fatally hit, a
court has been told.
Scott Alan Parker, 26, punched 31-year-old Beau Lawson in the
face, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head on
Thursday last week, an out-of-sessions court hearing was told
on Sunday.
Lawson had raised his hand to stop Parker from following
Parker's ex-girlfriend, who they ran into earlier at a pub at
Carrum Downs.
The ex-girlfriend and her friends had been dining in the pub
bistro but left to avoid confrontation after Parker made a
comment about spitting in their food, the hearing was told.
Detective Senior Constable Adam Burnett said Parker and
Lawson had been drinking heavily before the incident.
As the girls walked from the pub, Parker approached them and
lunged at his ex-girlfriend to punch her, but she was able to
step back and run.
Lawson then stepped in, and put up his hand to stop Parker
following her.
Det Sen Const Burnett said Parker punched a car window and
then hit Lawson in the face as he pleaded with him to calm
down.
Lawson, of Carrum Downs, fell to the ground unconscious and
died the next afternoon in hospital.
Parker was charged on Sunday with manslaughter, recklessly
threatening serious injury, criminal damage and breaching a
court order.
Police opposed bail, saying they had made a number of
attempts to find the accused and he had a number of
associates willing to hide him from police.
Police also feared Parker, who is unemployed and has no
permanent address, may try to contact his ex-girlfriend.
The bail justice refused Parker, also of Carrum Downs, bail,
and remanded him in custody to appear for a filing hearing at
Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.
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