An amateur boxer from the South East has been sentenced to nine months in prison after a drunken night club attack left a man needing surgery for a fractured skull.
Alexander Dahmes, 35, appeared in the County Court of Victoria on Thursday 10 April for sentencing after pleading guilty to a charge of recklessly causing serious injury.
The offence took place at Retro Nightclub in 2023, where Dahmes was accompanied by his girlfriend and a group of friends.
The court heard a ‘minor altercation’ between the victim and Dahmes’ girlfriend preceded the offence, a second altercation claimed by Dahmes just before the offence was not accepted by the court.
Both parties were intoxicated, with Dahmes consuming alcohol and the victim consuming cocaine and alcohol.
CCTV shown to the court showed Dahmes confronting the victim with his girlfriend.
The trained Muay Thai fighter proceeded to strike the complainant multiple times, including to the head and the back of the head, using a headbutt, his fist, knee and elbow.
After the offence, the victim presented to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The court saw photographs showing a “2x2cm indentation” on his forehead which required a later surgery to address the depressed skull fracture where metal plates and screws were installed.
He was reported to suffer from secondary nerve damage with some remaining loss of sensitivity.
A doctor’s opinion of the injury said that the part of the skull in question requires “800 to 1600 pounds” of force to fracture.
On the night of the offending, messages seen by the court showed Dahmes stating it was a “great ending to the night” and Judge Robyn Harper said he made “no attempt to check the welfare” of the complainant.
Dahmes would later report to Narre Warran Police Station, where he expressed remorse for the offence by stating to police it was a “massive overreaction”.
The victim reported the offending had affected his confidence with ongoing anxiety in public as well as self-consciousness about his scar from the surgery.
Dahmes pleaded guilty to the charge that holds a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment.
Judge Harper said Dahmes had been “cooperative” through the proceedings and “displayed an acceptance of responsibility” for his actions.
Dahmes had strong connections in his employment and family life, Judge Harper described, with “excellent” prospects for rehabilitation.
Referring to the previous altercation involving Dahmes’ girlfriend, Judge Harper said the incident was “over” at the time of the offence and “had nothing to do with you.”
The level of violence was “horrific”, Judge Harper said.
The offending may have been only “4 to 5 seconds”, but it was still “shocking,” and warranted “serious punishment”.
Dahmes was sentenced to nine months imprisonment in combination with a 12-month community corrections order.
