Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, 39, appeared in the Dunedin District Court last week after earlier pleading guilty to injuring with reckless disregard.
The court heard that on May 26, 2023, the defendant was working as a bar manager at the Stadium Tavern Bar. His sister also worked there as a waitress.
A regular customer, who the manager said had caused trouble in the past, grabbed Sidhu’s sister’s bottom.
The defendant and two other staff reacted by removing the man from the bar and began walking him to his nearby home.
While the group was walking a scuffle broke out and the patron ended up on the ground.
He managed to get up, but Sidhu punched him in the face causing him to fall again.
The staff got the man home and emergency services were called.
He had suffered a broken eye socket which had been displaced 9mm downwards and required surgery.
During the surgery a piece of bone had to be removed from the victim’s sinuses as it had broken off and caused an infection.
The victim also had a chipped tooth, swelling to his eye, blood clots covering his eye and gravel embedded in his eye.
At sentencing, counsel Louise Denton said the attack was ‘‘really out of character’’ for Sidhu.
‘‘If the initial assault on his sister hadn’t occurred it probably wouldn’t have escalated to that extent,’’ Ms Denton said.
The defendant and other bar staff had ongoing issues with the victim’s behaviour and Sidhu had taken him home on many other occasions, she said.
He said he ‘‘couldn’t take it any more’’ and ‘‘lost it’’.
‘‘Two wrongs don’t make a right, we know that,’’ Ms Denton said.
Judge David Robinson accepted there was ‘‘a degree of belligerence’’ from the victim, but said Sidhu showed little remorse.
‘‘You really seem to justify your actions on the basis that it was an available response to the victim’s assault of the staff member.’’
He noted the defendant had no other convictions and had lost his job as a result of the offending.
Judge Robinson sentenced Sidhu to six months’ home detention and 100 hours’ community work.
The other two staff involved were due to be sentenced later this year.
