In a case that’s unlikely to help Adelaide’s music scene following what’s been a difficult year for live music venues, including the forthcoming introduction of 3am lockouts, metal detectors, increased CCTV surveillance, and drinks restrictions under a new Late Night Trading Code Of Practice – a man who attacked glassed a local Adelaide musician has been found guilty, as the Herald Sun reports.
Aaron Savcic was found guilty of one count of causing serious harm with intent to do so after he attacked Dusty Stephenson with a beer glass after a performance by the local singer and his band at the Lion Hotel in North Adelaide in May 2011.
Stephenson suffered severe facial injuries and permanent scarring as a result of the attack in an incident that began while he was on stage performing, as the Adelaide District Court heard in recent proceedings, as The Australian reports. Prosecutor Peter Morrison told the court that “during the performance Rachel Cearns, who is Mr Stephenson’s girlfriend, arrived at the hotel to watch the band play… At some point after, she went to the dance floor in front of the stage and started dancing to the music … Mr Stephenson, who was on stage, could see her from where he was performing.”
Mr Morrison explained that Aaron Savcic, a 33-year-old patron at the pub approached the singer’s girlfriend on the dancefloor and proceeded to grab her by the arms while groping her on the bottom, as witnessed by Dusty Stephenson on stage, who “remonstrated with the accused whilst in the middle of a song,” says the prosecutor. Stephenson suffered severe facial injuries and permanent scarring as a result of the attack in an incident that began while he was on stage performing
After the gig the couple were at the bar and were approached by Savcic holding a pint glass of beer. “I said ‘you just don’t go around grabbing girls on the ass’ and he repeated ‘what’s your problem’ multiple times,” Stephenson told the jury; “He tightened his grip around me and pulled himself in closer.”
Stephenson then shoved Savcic, “I was retaliating to the tightening of the intensity of his grip around my neck,” he said, before he was struck in the left side of the face with the beer glass.
Savcic claimed he was acting in self-defence after wanting to apologise for the incident with the singer’s girlfriend. Telling the court he had not intended to harm Mr Stephenson and “100 per cent did not” realise he had a glass in his hand at the time of the confrontation. Stephenson suffered deep lacerations to his left cheek, causing damage to his saliva glands and nerves, as well as leaving a scar.
Judge Rosemary Davey pointed out that Savcic had implicated in previous convictions for assault “occasioning actual bodily harm in 2004,” before handing down her sentence.
In more positive news, Adelaide’s live music scene will soon welcome the return of The Jade Monkey, which is being resurrected at a new site after ongoing battles for licensing. The venue’s issues became a ‘worst case scenario’ cautionary tale for venue operators while Adelaide City Council, Premier Jay Weatherill, and even a local property developer all acknowledged The Jade Monkey’s plight and vowed to help when the venue was forced to shut down after owners of the building it was housed in obtained permission to build a $65 million hotel next door.
