Making Jackass of himself

AT AN alcohol-fuelled house party Tiernan Quinn and a group of friends used a taser-style device to shock each other in dares similar to those shown in the television series Jackass.

Later, when a passer-by, Ali Gungor, insulted a group of men standing outside the Darlinghurst property, he was set upon in a vicious attack - punched, kicked and then shocked with the taser on his neck and back.

Yesterday Quinn, 26, was sentenced in the Downing Centre Local Court to 200 hours' community service and a $2500 fine for being an accessory after the fact to the assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and for possessing 10 taser-style guns known as anti-personnel devices.

The court heard Quinn came to possess the tasers after a work friend brought them back from China, where they are legal.

Quinn's lawyer, Gerard Mitchell, told the court: "He said, stupidly, [that] he'd have some; maybe his friends might like some." Mr Mitchell said that the first time Quinn had opened any of the weapons was during the party and that they were used by some of those present to "periodically shock each other".

"I'm not sure if Your Honour has seen the movie called Jackass?" he asked. The magistrate, David Heilpern, replied that he had seen the show with his two sons and tended to "enjoy them myself".

Mr Mitchell said his client had not been involved in the physical altercation which resulted in Mr Gungor being taken to hospital.

He said Quinn had pulled his two friends, brothers Sam and James Nott, off the man. The court heard that James Nott, considered the "major protagonist", was sentenced to 200 hours' community service, while Sam Nott was dealt with under mental health laws.

Mr Mitchell said Quinn had initially lied to police about what had happened but later co-operated fully, providing DNA samples and alerting them to the whereabouts of the other weapons.

Since the incident, Quinn had distanced himself from the other two offenders, had cut down on his drinking and had been seeing a counsellor and life coach in an attempt to "move on in a positive way".

Mr Heilpern said the offence appeared to be "completely out of character".

He accepted that the weapons were not as dangerous as the higher voltage police tasers but said the offence had to be treated seriously as the weapons were illegal in Australia.