Bunbury man splits head of bystanding stranger during pub brawl with someone else

A Bunbury man has been ordered to take part in counselling after accidentally injuring a random person during a pub brawl. Lewis Steven Ashmead, 22, appeared in Bunbury Magistrates Court last week where he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful wounding. About 12.45am on November 26, Ashmead was on the dance floor of Fitzgerald’s Irish Bar when someone bumped into him and knocked him over. A fight then broke out between Ashmead and that person with Ashmead throwing a punch while holding a glass in his hand. As Ashmead was throwing the punch, the glass flew out of his hand and hit another person across the dancefloor who was not involved in the altercation. The glass shattered on to the person’s head, resulting in their head being split open, needing “several stitches”, according to police. According to Ashmead’s lawyer, he had “no idea” his punch had cause an innocent bystander to be injured and was “genuinely sorry”. Magistrate Stephen Butcher said the circumstances were unusual. “It’s certainly not the usual type of wounding in a pub,” Mr Butcher said. Ashmead was ordered to take part in counselling and will appear in court for sentencing in four weeks, with his behaviour in counselling expected to help determine his sentence.