Australia one-punch accused pleads not guilty

Australia one-punch accused pleads not guilty

An Australian man has pleaded not guilty to a sickening one-punch attack in Canberra on New Year's Day.

It happened just 24 hours before Australian athlete Cole Miller was killed by one punch, allegedly thrown by New Zealander Daniel Maxwell.

Since then there have been a spate of coward punches in Australia.

Jordan Sharma handed himself in after security video of the vicious New Year's Day incident in Canberra went viral.

The man who was punched needed emergency surgery; he's now recovering at home.

The 20-year-old has now pleaded not guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.

As he appeared in court, footage was released of another senseless incident. A Brisbane teenager was coward-punched when he tried to break up a fight.

The violent attack took place in the same nightclub district where teenager Cole Miller was fatally punched a fortnight ago.

Two Kiwis have been charged in relation to his death. Miller was laid to rest this week.

As the country mourned the talented athlete's death, another coward attack, this time a female victim, targeted outside a bar after a routine ID check.

She told the drunk man to stand aside, and he responded by hooking his arm around her neck and slamming her to the ground – a total act of thuggery, totally unprovoked. The mother of two was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.

Australian anti-violence campaigners are fed up, and police urge people to step forward and assist them.

It may be one punch, but in Australia there have been many victims.

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