A young man will walk from prison on bail, despite having been convicted of a shocking attack stomping on a policeman's head.
Koby Weaver, 21, will be released from jail after he was bailed on Thursday ahead of a sentence appeal.
On April 10 he was sentenced to two years in prison with a non-parole period of 12 months for recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm over a brawl where he stomped on the head of an off-duty police officer.
In mobile phone footage played to Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court, a crack can be heard as the officer's head is slammed into the road and he is knocked unconscious.
Though Acting Judge Antony Townsden acknowledged the seriousness of the incident, he said he was not the judge deciding on whether Weaver's sentence would be appealed.
"(This is) a particularly serious example of this type of offence," he told the court.
"(I) take a very dim view in relation to offences of this type, that are all too prevalent in the community.
"But I'm not dealing with the appeal."
Under his latest bail conditions, Weaver will be required to report to a police station three days a week, abstain from alcohol and prescription drugs, stay with his parents, and more.
The 21-year-old, alongside Danai Deneiderhavsein, 19, and Finley Goodwin, 23, were arguing on a busy street in Newtown in Sydney's inner west on the night of January 22 on a busy street in Newtown, in Sydney’s inner-west.
They were described as worked up and aggressive by off-duty police officers Jack Steen and Lachlan Gray, who caught the trio’s attention just before 11pm, according to court documents.
Deneiderhavsein aggressively approached the two officers and pushed them despite the men’s attempts to de-escalate the situation and retreat.
He punched Mr Gray, knocking him to the footpath where he continued the assault.
Meanwhile, the altercation involving the second police officer stopped traffic on busy Enmore Rd when he stumbled into the middle of the road during the attack.
When Mr Gray got up to help his friend, the agreed facts state Weaver shoved him and caused him to fall in front of a car stopped in the middle of the street.
The 21-year-old then used his right foot to stomp on Mr Steen’s face, knocking his head back onto the concrete and knocking him unconscious immediately.
Weaver ran away, leaving the police officer lying on the road with serious injuries.
An off-duty nurse and a member of the public performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
Mr Steen was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he was treated for a bleed on the brain, multiple facial fractures and swelling. He has since been discharged.
Mr Gray sustained two black eyes, lacerations and swelling during the attack.
"This matter involves a despicable act of serious violence," the crown prosecution argued on Thursday.
"(It was) a random, repeated, brutal attack on a victim that was unknown to the applicant."
Though Weaver's own lawyer admitted the footage "looks shocking", she urged the judge to consider the offence in context.
"Whilst it is a very serious offence, it does appear to be out of character ... certainly not something he has a propensity to do," his lawyer said.
Weaver had no history of offending and was previously on bail from March 2025 until April without any breach of his conditions.
The 21-year-old will return to court on May 18.
