A man who punched a stranger and left the "non-confrontational" victim with a cracked skull and fractured face has escaped time behind bars.
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The victim was rendered unconscious during the late-night Civic assault before being kicked in the head.
"Innocent people should be able to go about their lives without being assaulted," Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson said on Friday.
Aiden Paff, 24, shielded his face as he left the ACT Supreme Court, where he learned he would avoid serving any full-time jail for his crime.
Paff's exit was noticeably different than the one following his June sentence for another assault when, on that occasion, he smiled and waved at a media camera leaving court.
The unrelated assaults occurred just two weeks apart.
On Friday, the judge handed the man a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence, to be served by way of an intensive correction order, and ordered him to complete 300 hours of community service.
Paff previously pleaded guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Agreed facts state the victim tried to help break up a fight taking placed in the early hours of December 10, 2022, in Civic's Bible Lane.
When the victim attempted to pull Paff off another man, the offender turned to confront him.
"The victim attempted to back away from the offender whilst holding his arm out motioning him to stop in a non-confrontational manner," facts state.
Paff then punched the victim in the head, causing the man to drop to the ground, hit his face on the pavement and lose consciousness.
Regaining consciousness, the victim was then kicked in the head by Paff with a "wound up strike".
"Mate, you have had enough already, just leave it," the offender told his victim, who returned to his feet.
Among other injuries, the victim was left with multiple fractures to his face and skull.
The court previously heard how the incident had left that man feeling like he was "not the same bloke he was before the assault".
"My life has changed dramatically," he said in a victim impact statement.
"I used to enjoy the nightlife. Now, I just sit in my home and do nothing."
Paff's conviction in June landed him a 12-month intensive correction order and he was ordered to complete 75 hours of community service.
That time, the offender attempted to drunkenly gatecrash a Christmas party.
Upon being refused entry, Paff pushed the host and left the innocent victim requiring surgery and two hand plaster casts.
Justice Loukas-Karlsson said "only limited weight" could be ascribed to remorse Paff had expressed for the crime he was most recently convicted of.
The offender told a pre-sentence report author he committed the assault due to his "bottling up" of emotions, which "all came out".
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As part of his conditional liberty, Paff will engage with services to address alcohol and drug use, mental health and anger management.
"The victim in this case has been greatly and permanently affected by your crime," Justice Loukas-Karlsson told the man after delivering her sentence.
"You must strive daily to be a better person."
He responded quietly: "Yes, your honour."
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Tim Piccione
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
