The goalkeeper in a hotly-contested Canberra futsal match that ended in an all-in brawl has been found guilty of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm for a punch that broke an opposing player's eye socket.
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Kerim Hidic, 22, was among players and spectators who clashed at the first-grade game between the Kolo FC and Big Ball teams at the Australian National University in December 2015.
Rising tensions prompted the referee to call off the game, which had been marked by numerous fouls and sledging, spiralled out of control after a tense verbal exchange and ended in a group punch-up.
The victim, who was a player from the Big Ball team, ran into the fight to help a friend who he said was on the ground and getting kicked in the head.
He grabbed the alleged attacker from behind before Hidic struck him in the face with such force he fractured bones around his eye in two places.
Players saw the man on his knees with blood dripping from his face, and a pool of blood on the court. The punch abruptly ended the fight and the men had scattered.
The injury caused the man's eye to sink back in his head. He had surgery to help fix its outward appearance but still suffered vision problems.
Hidic was charged but pleaded not guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.
He admitted he punched the victim, but argued he acted in self defence and wanted to protect his friend.
Jury members in his ACT Supreme Court trial deliberated for a couple of hours before they returned a guilty verdict on Friday morning.
It was not disputed that the man suffered grievous bodily harm, or that Hidic punched him.
The jury instead had to decide whether Hidic acted recklessly, and struck the man even though he knew it could injure him, and whether his actions were reasonable.
The victim was not in court when the verdict was read out.
The trial heard Hidic turned himself into police six weeks after the fight and admitted he dealt the blow, telling officers: "I was just in the adrenaline, in the moment.
"I didn't know what was happening, I just wanted to get out."
Prosecutor Soraya Saikal-Skea had argued Hidic was an "aggressor" in the brawl, while the victim had been "a peacemaker".
She said the defendant's actions were excessive, not proportionate and didn't count as self defence of another person.
But barrister Jason Moffett argued his client had used reasonable force to defend himself and his friend that night.
He said police questioned Hidic on the force of the punch and he told them: "I wouldn't say it was all-out strength; more protective".
Hidic's bail was continued. He will return to court in August for sentence proceedings.
