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SHIRTLESS and fighting with his mate in the car park of the Tilligerry RSL and Sports Club, Brayden Matthew took exception to another patron telling him to leave and "show some respect". Matthew, now 19, marched over to the 55-year-old man, a well-known and respected member of the Tilligerry Peninsula community, and king-hit him to the side of the head, the "unprovoked and cowardly attack" immediately knocking the victim unconscious and sending him sprawling backwards where he hit the back of his head on a brick pillar. Those who witnessed the assault are said to have immediately yelled "what have you done" at Matthew, according to a statement of police facts. The punch left the victim with a black eye and swelling to his cheek, but the subsequent fall to the ground left him with a badly broken right leg and a haematoma to the back of his head, according to police. The victim was placed in the recovery position and was unconscious for about five minutes. And while police and ambulance paramedics were on their way, Matthew was leaving in a friend's car, while another mate was riding away on the unregistered motorbike that Matthew had ridden to the club. Matthew, an oyster farmer from Mallabula, pleaded guilty to reckless grievous bodily harm and on July 3 in Raymond Terrace Local Court was jailed for a maximum of 10 months and 26 days, with a non-parole period of six months. Matthew immediately lodged an appeal against the severity of the sentence and, after spending about nine days behind bars, was granted appeal bail in Newcastle District Court on Friday. He will face a severity appeal hearing in the same court on August 23. It was the night before Australia Day this year and Matthew and some mates were at the Tilligerry RSL and Sports Club at Tanilba Bay. At some point during the evening staff members had to talk to the group about their behaviour inside the club. Later on, staff say they were alerted to a fight in the poker machine room and arrived to find Matthew and his mate involved in a heated argument. The group were ejected about 9.30pm and were in the car park where Matthew was still being abusive and trying to confront his mate. By this stage both men had their shirts off, police said. As staff tried to calm Matthew down and get him to leave the area, the 55-year-old victim yelled out to the group that they should leave the area and show some respect because it was an RSL club, according to a statement of police facts. It was then that Matthew marched over and landed the single punch that knocked the victim to the ground where he hit his head and broke his leg.

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