THE father and son who shocked Mount Isa's Rugby League community after brawling with officials and linesmen at last year's grand final showdown left the Mount Isa Magistrates Court without recorded convictions yesterday.
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Wanderers player and club die-hard Carl Bambrick, 29, punched referee Ashley Gallagher in the final minutes of the Mid-West Rugby League grand final match against Black Stars in front of an astonished Alec Inch Oval crowd last July.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Martin Longhurst said Mr Gallagher made a call against the Wanderers in the dying minutes of the game and was leading Carl off the field for verbal abuse when he was punched.
As players rushed to break up the conflict in the heat of the moment, Sgt Longhurst said Carl's father Jeffrey Bambrick, 52, ran on to the field and yelled at game officials.
Anderson Telford Lawyers solicitor Anderson Telford said both of his clients had no criminal history.
He said Jeffrey Bambrick didn't run onto the field to ``fuel the melee'' that followed the punch but rather to express concern with the conduct of his son.
Jeffrey's common assault charge was amended to a public nuisance charge which Magistrate Rod Madsen completely discharged him of in court yesterday.
Carl initially faced one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm but had the charge amended to common assault.
He was ordered to pay $500 for the injury inflicted upon Mr Gallagher and serve an 18-month good behaviour bond worth $1000.
Both men copped significant bans by the Queensland Rugby League judiciary - Carl for 10 years and Jeffrey for two years - prior to the court hearing.
Magistrate Madsen said given the defendants' standing in the community and involvement with rugby league over the course of their lives, the bans ruled by the sporting body were significant punishment.
