Trevor Karepa Towers, 40, was one of four accused men involved in the alleged punch on at the Farmers Arms Hotel on Friday October 14, 2022.

Towers and friends had been drinking at the pub since 6pm when they were approached about 8.30pm at the pool table inside by one of the three complainants, who asked if he and his two friends could play the next game of pool.

The Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Wednesday heard a "verbal disagreement between the parties" broke out before the accused "swung" two of the men to the ground.

A co-accused was alleged to have struck one of the complainants with a pool cue, knocking him unconscious and causing him to fall forward face first.

At the same time, Towers kicked and punched another man, while a co-accused was alleged to have thrown a billiard ball at the same man.

The brawl momentarily cooled - with witnesses and bar staff standing between the accused and the complainants - only to be set off again moments later.

A co-accused is alleged to have thrown multiple punches to a complainant, who fell to the ground before he was said to have been punched again by the co-accused.

Meanwhile, Towers began wrestling with another complainant.

When the man was pulled away from Towers by an onlooker, the accused turned his attention to the complainant on the ground, attempting to punch him multiple times to the torso and head.

The man suffered facial fractures. He, nor the two other complainants, had any ongoing injuries.

The alleged affray lasted almost 2 and a half minutes.

When Creswick police arrived about 10 minutes later, Towers and his co-accused had already left.

The accused men, who were staying in Creswick for a yearly golfing trip, were found by authorities walking with their group on nearby Albert Street.

Towers was interviewed by police about a month later.

"He informed police he recognised himself in the CCTV stills ... but did not name anyone involved," police prosecutor Senior Constable Sam Young told the court.

"He stated the victims were the ones who instigated the incident.

"After viewing the video footage he was visibly distressed.

"He [said] he didn't recall being involved."

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The court heard the accused had been before the court for similar offending in 2011.

Defence counsel for Towers said the accused was "under no illusion" about his behaviour.

"It's escalated in a way that's completely unacceptable," the defence said.

"It's not a completely random act of violence. It's escalated out of a dispute."

It was not the first time drinks at the pub have ended in violence.

In November 2019, 39-year-old David Blake was killed outside the Farmer's Arms Hotel by Shane Lucas, 41, in a 'coward punch' attack.

Lucas was sentenced to nine years jail, with a six-year non-parole period for the death.

Magistrate Mark Stratmann said it was clear Towers' "strong assault, in the context of other violence within a group," had happened after a "huge amount of drinking".

"In the photographs there's a person holding a pool cue, I hear there's been strikes to the head. How that person was not seriously injured I don't know," the Magistrate said.

"I've heard in the police summary [of] punching and kicking someone, not only doing it on a couple of occasions, but coming back for a further strike.

"Clearly, he's lost control of his behaviour.

"What goes in favour for [Towers] is effectively 12 years of no further offending ... but it's interesting the matters in 2011 are very similar in nature which really makes me wonder if there's an underlying issue.

"It is absolutely disgraceful."

Towers pleaded guilty to one charge of affray and was placed on a community corrections order for 12 months.

He was ordered to complete 130 hours of community work, including 30 hours of treatment in an offending behaviour program.

The co-accused did not appear in court on Wednesday and will have their charges heard separately.

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