A former national
kick-boxing champion has been sentenced to nine months' periodic
detention for king-hitting a bouncer in Civic.
''Banging'' Ben
Edwards, 24, had been found guilty of recklessly inflicting
grievous bodily harm on a 29-year-old bouncer at King O'Malley's
Irish pub last January.
The court had
heard the victim had left the pub to talk to Edwards, but was
knocked out with a single punch in what witnesses described as a
seemingly unprovoked attack.
He was left with
permanent deafness in his right ear and had part of his skull
removed.
Edwards, of
Queanbeyan, became a boxer last year. In his first bout last
April, he famously floored former NRL player John Hopoate in
less than 90 seconds.
In handing down
the sentence yesterday, Magistrate Grant Lalor said there was a
need for general deterrence for an offence of this type, which
had resulted in ''significant and lasting injuries''. Edwards'
lawyers said there would be an appeal in the Supreme Court.
