Patron jailed for two years for violent pub assault
Image: The Commercial Hotel
A drug and alcohol-fuelled attack on two patrons at the Commercial Hotel in Mount Gambier has landed 31-year-old Brodie Allan Davis in prison, after he turned on bystanders who tried to intervene in a dispute on 20 May 2024.
The court heard the confrontation began when patron Daryl Smith tried to guide a woman away from an argument involving Davis. According to the sentencing judge, Davis set down his drink and approached Smith from behind.
“There was a loud crack heard when your fist made contact with his face. You then walked over to Mr Graham Winchester who had already been punched by another member of your group. You shaped up to him in a boxing stance and punched him, causing him to fall again, ”Judge Ian White, told the District Court
Smith — who had only attended the venue at the encouragement of friends — sustained multiple fractures to his right eye socket and cheekbones. In a victim impact statement, he described the lasting toll of his injuries.
“He tried to passively intervene and de-escalate the situation. He had done nothing to you and nothing to provoke you. He describes being in constant pain, difficulties in eating, drinking and sleeping. It is his new ‘normal’ to wake with a headache,” White said.
Defence counsel Nick Healy told the court Davis was remorseful and felt like a “horrible person” for his conduct. The court heard he had a troubled upbringing involving physical abuse and neglect, and had been diagnosed with severe alcohol and cocaine use disorder. Davis was also on bail for an unrelated assault charge at the time of the incident.
Judge White acknowledged those mitigating factors but noted Davis’s prior record of violence, describing his offending as “impulsive with indirect links to your history of trauma, mental health and consumption of drugs.” He sentenced Davis to two years, six months and six days, with a non-parole period of 15 months.
Jonathan Jackson, 8th April 2026
