But the ACT Magistrates Court was also told Ermin Mehic, 25, had been in “50 fights” and appeared to have little remorse for the bashing despite sending a letter of apology to the victim.

Mehic and two friends had a confrontation with the manager of the convenience store during a night out in Civic in September last year.

His friends, Emir Ajetovic, 22, and Aldin Kahric, 26, started punching and beating the man while Mehic joined in later, kicking him in the head several times.

This afternoon the court heard Mehic was a Bosnian Muslim who had spent his early years “surrounded by death and destruction”, near Srebrenica.

His lawyer told the court Mehic had been in “50 fights” in his life and was seeing a psychologist to deal with his issues.

But he did not have a grasp on reality and the court case had been a “high watermark” and wake up call for him.

Mehic originally maintained his innocence, but eventually pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court heard he had sent a letter of apology to the victim, who was left with lacerations on his face and bruising that took four months to heal.

But the prosecution said the letter was contradicted by a pre-sentence report, in which Mehic tried to blame the victim and his friends for the bashing.

The court heard Mehic’s attack on the victim was unprovoked and unnecessary.

Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker adjourned the sentencing proceedings to August.