A drunk Australian man who head-butted former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, pleaded guilty on Thursday.
Tasmanian DJ Astro Labe followed Abbott for 250 metres along the waterfront of the state capital Hobart before deliberately headbutting him on Sept. 21 2017, the city’s magistrates’ court heard on Thursday.
“Labe, 38, pleaded guilty to causing harm to a Commonwealth public official.
“He faces a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of 25,000 Australian dollars ($20,000). Labe will be sentenced in March,” local broadcaster ABC reported.
After the incident, Abbott said he was shocked and suffered minor injuries, with a “slightly swollen lip.”
At the time, it was believed the assault was due to Abbott’s strident campaigning against same-sex marriage while Australia was holding a legally non-binding postal survey on the issue.
Labe, a self-described anarchist, said his drunken attack was inspired by “personal hatred” of Abbott and had nothing to do with the marriage debate.