Gang associates sentenced for cosmetics counter fight

Four men have been sentenced over a "thuggish, gratuitous, cowardly and alarming" assault in the cosmetics section of an Adelaide department store.

Two of the men were Hells Angels associates while the victim was connected to the New Boys street gang.

But Judge Paul Rice could not say whether the attack was motivated by conflict between the gangs.

Hussain Ali Alzuain, 25, Simko Eliassi, 24, Andrew Hopwood, 25, and Seywan Moradi, 25, pleaded guilty in the South Australian District Court to taking part in an affray on July 29, 2010, in the Myer store at Modbury.

In sentencing them today, the judge said prosecutors had dropped a more serious charge of aggravated causing harm with intent.

He described the men's action as thuggish, gratuitous, cowardly and alarming, noting onlookers were frightened and entitled to believe such incidents would not erupt in public places.

After a chance sighting, the four men had approached the victim in the cosmetics section for the purpose of using or threatening to use violence, the judge said.

The victim was hospitalised overnight with grazes, tenderness and a wound after he was punched and kicked during the affray.

The judge jailed Alzuain for nine months, noting his previous convictions and his significant role in the violence.

Eliassi, who had no criminal history, was put on a $500 three-year good behaviour bond, after the judge suspended an eight-month jail term.

At the time of the fight, Hopwood was on a suspended four-month jail term for an assault.

"You put the boot into (the victim) after he went to the floor," the judge said.

He revoked the suspended sentence, jailed him for eight months and set an overall non-parole period of five months.

The judge placed Moradi on a $500 three-year good behaviour bond after suspending a four-month jail term, noting he was the least involved.