An Australian on trial for assaulting the manager at Kuta’s popular Sky Garden nightclub could get one and a half years behind bars if Bali prosecutors get their way.
Scott Dobson is accused of attacking Canadian Kenneth Wickes on Sept. 27, 2013, allegedly kicking him and stomping on his chest after Dobson and his friends refused to pay for their drinks from that night. His friends are still on the wanted list.
The maximum penalty Dobson is facing is actually nine years for openly committing violence against persons or property and maltreatment, but it seems prosecutors don’t think he deserves that heavy of a sentence, as they requested one and a half years for him in Denpasar District Court on Monday.
The Australian has apparently maintained his innocence, refusing to “admit” his actions, which seems to be an incriminating factor as Gusti Ayu Fitria sees it.
But Fitria also said Dobson has “behaved politely during trial and has never been punished before,” according to AAP.
“During the trial, there’s no justification or reason which may eliminate the defendant’s mistake and with that, the defendant must be punished in accordance to what he did,” she said.
Dobson has said he only pushed Wickes to try and stop others from fighting and claims he attempted to “negotiate” with Wickes by offering to pay around Rp 80 million that would go towards the Canadian’s dental bill, AAP reports.
The 53-year-old has been put up in Bali’s Kerobokan Prison throughout his trial. It’s his defense team’s turn to respond in court next week.
This isn’t the only controversial case of violence at Sky Garden in the news lately. Just last week, pictures of a bloodied up Aussie hit the press. The Aussie claimed he was attacked by Sky Garden security, but the night club responded in a statement that the altercation did not involve any Sky Garden personnel.
