A Mooseheads patron who threw alcohol-fuelled punches against two others who bumped into him on the venue's dance floor still had some "growing of emotional intelligence to do", his lawyer told a court.
Joseph Egan, 19, fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to assault charges following a night out at the venue earlier this year.
The court heard in the early hours of April 24, Egan had an exchange of words with two men who bumped into him on the dance floor before he threw a barrage of punches.
One punch left one of the victims falling back, hitting his head on the ground while the other victim felt the force of three punches to his head.
One had to attend hospital and had eight stitches to his lip and had bruising to his face.
Egan, a plumbing apprentice, was identified after he went back to Mooseheads not long after the incident.
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Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker convicted him and sentenced him to an 18-month good behaviour order.
He was also fined $1500 in total and was given time to pay.
Ms Walker said the offences were serious and that community protection was important.
"Punching people particularly to the head when they're not expecting it can have very serious consequences," she said.
"I'm sure you've heard of this, 'One-punch deaths'."
Ms Walker said Egan should not be proud of his conduct.
"In other respects, you're a sensible young man who's working hard to establish himself in a good trade," she said.
She said she was concerned he had already been before the court for a drug-driving incident for which he was not convicted.
She gave him a warning about the consequences of using illicit substances daily.
Egan's lawyer earlier said he had no prior violent offending and he still had some "growing of emotional intelligence to do".
The court heard Egan had a low risk of reoffending and an order to participate in a restorative justice process was also made.
