A Canberra man has been found guilty of unleashing a drunken punch that hospitalised another with a serious brain injury.
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Chief Justice Helen Murrell in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday found Levi Freeman-Quay, 26, guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and common assault during the drunken Civic brawl in September 2013.
But Freeman-Quay was acquitted of a more serious charge of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Freeman-Quay had been drinking heavily with friends before they became involved in a scuffle with another group of men outside the ActewAGL building near Bible Lane early on the morning of September 21.
CCTV footage, played during Freeman-Quay's May trial, shows the two groups exchange words on Bunda Street, before the victim's group walks away.
Freeman-Quay follows them, and grabs the hood of one man's jumper, pulling it backwards, which resulted in the charge of common assault.
A scuffle breaks out, and the victim, Matt Pridham, is shown trying to headbutt one of the opposing men, who grabs him in response.
Freeman-Quay then punches Mr Pridham which causes him to fall back and hit his head on the concrete.
He suffered a fractured skull, facial fractures, and swelling to the brain, and was left fighting for his life as a result.
Freeman-Quay denied the allegations and went on trial in May.
His lawyers argued the footage showed Freeman-Quay did not deliver the punch.
Chief Justice Murrell reserved her decision at the time, and handed it down on Monday.
The judge dismissed claims the defendant may have acted defending a friend.
"Taking into account the intoxication of the accused, I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that, subjectively, the accused did not believe that it was necessary to punch the complainant in order to protect [his friend]," the judge wrote in her decision.
"Objectively, even from the perspective of a very intoxicated person who was concerned about the safety of his friend, the delivery of a forceful and targeted punch to the head area was an excessive use of force.
"The conduct of the accused was not a reasonable response in the circumstances as the accused perceived them (regardless of the accused's state of intoxication)."
Chief Justice Murrell also found the defendant guilty of common assault as he had "intentionally and aggressively" pulled the second mans hood.
"[The victim] had no forewarning of the act and was in no position to consent to it," she said.
"There was no lawful excuse for the act; the circumstances do not give rise to any possible lawful excuse such as self defence."Freeman-Quay will appear for sentence on Friday.
