A university student who slapped a lecturer when he was refused extra marks said the assault came out of desperation after failing the unit four times.

Ali Mohammad, an engineering student at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, pleaded guilty to assaulting the lecturer on March 7.

In the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Mohammad admitted his motivation was a desire to pass the subject.

When lecturer Dr Jeung-Hwan Doh refused to bump up his grade, the violent outburst began, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

Dr Jeung-Hwan Doh (pictured) was the victim of an assault when Ali Mohammad, a student he was trying to help, slapped him after he refused to raise's grade

In Southport Magistrates Court, Mohammad admitted his motivation for the crime was a desire to pass the subject - which he had failed four times before

The court was told Mohammed, from Kuwait, yelled at Dr Doh and slapped him in the face with an open hand.

The student then hit Dr Doh in the head with an exam paper.

Security were called but by that time Mohammed had fled the university on foot.

The aspiring civil engineer was sentenced to 40 hours of community service for the offence.

He represented himself and pleaded guilty to one count of assault and eventually admitted the incident was a 'mistake'.

'I thought he was trying to do something bad with me,' Mohammad said.

'I was wrong and he was trying to teach me.'

Mohammed yelled at the academic and slapped him in the face with an open hand and hit him in the head with an exam paper at Griffith University (pictured)



