Former boxing champ Les Piper convicted of assault after biting man’s ear during street fight
A FORMER boxing champion has become the Gold Coast’s answer to Mike Tyson after biting a man in a wild pub fight.
Les Piper, an ex-Queensland super middleweight champion, today pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court today to common assault.
He was originally charged with the more serious offence of assault occasioning bodily harm after allegedly biting off part of the man’s ear, a la Tyson in his infamous world heavyweight title fight with Evander Holyfield in 1997.
However, the charge was downgraded in a plea deal with prosecutors, with the only allegation being that Piper, 32, bit the man on the torso and punched him multiple times while wearing a spiked ring.
The court heard the victim had intervened in an altercation between Piper and his partner after another man made advances on her during a drunken night at Nerang’s Highland Park Tavern last July.
Defence lawyer Chris Hannay told the court there was ‘a little bit of argy bargy’ between Piper and the victim and then ‘they were both into it’.
Mr Hannay said Piper was put in a bear hug and had no choice but to bite the man.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Reece Foort told the court it was ‘a fair blue’ but Piper should not have bitten the man.
Magistrate Ron Kilner said people who bit or spat on others normally went to jail and Piper had criminal history for violent offences.
But Mr Kilner said Piper ‘gave as good as he got’ and opted to give him ‘the benefit of the doubt’.
Piper was convicted and fined $1200. His spiked ring was confiscated by the court.
Outside court, he said he would ‘just walk away’ from any future confrontations.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/quee ... eec634e26c