Man sentenced for fatal one-punch attack outside Taperoo pub
A South Australian man has been sentenced for fatally striking a young man in a one-punch attack outside a Taperoo pub in 2023.
Mathew Hawkins, 29, from Exeter, struck 35-year-old Luke Sweetman in the head during an altercation in the car park of the Peninsula Hotel Motel. The Supreme Court heard that Sweetman fell instantly to the bitumen, with bystanders describing the sound of his head hitting the ground as a “loud crack”.
The court was told Hawkins fled the scene immediately, leaving Sweetman, a gifted information technology specialist, lying in a “pool of blood”.
During sentencing on Thursday, the court described the act as “cowardly”, noting that Hawkins had been under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident. Sweetman was remembered as a “beautiful” young man whose life was cut short in a senseless act of violence.
“You immediately and quickly moved towards Mr Sweetman who was retreating from you, and you punched him,” the Honourable Justice Laura Stein said.
“He fell straight back onto the bitumen and you moved away, and immediately left the area.
“Mr Sweetman was not provoking you in any way and did not pose a threat. He was trying to get away from you and you pursued him – punching him over a trivial pursuit.”
Sweetman was invited to the Peninsula Hotel Motel on August 9, 2024 by his best friend to watch Australian band KissJovi perform live. Security footage captured the pair laughing and chatting with bar staff just after midnight on August 10.
Roughly five minutes later, closed-circuit television showed an altercation between Sweetman and Hawkins in the hotel lobby. Hawkins' father was seen restraining his son outside the venue.
Earlier this month, the court heard Hawkins had a “cocktail” of substances in his system – including cocaine, cannabis, alcohol and painkillers – when he “suddenly and violently” attacked Sweetman.
Prosecutor Kos Lesses told the court the fatal punch was “delivered without any immediate provocation or threat posed by the victim,” adding that Sweetman “was literally standing around near the entrance to the hotel”.
Outside court on Thursday, Sweetman’s mother Marion described Hawkins as “totally evil”.
“My son Luke doesn’t even know how to physically fight to defend himself. My son Luke would stay right away from any of this, as it would frighten my son Luke even if he heard of physically fighting on the news. My son Luke has never been in a physical fight in all his life.
“I watched my young innocent son Luke dying in immense suffering for 13 days in hospital.
“Are we in times now where all young innocent men and young innocent women of Australia now need to learn self-defence?”
Hawkins was sentenced to six years and four months in prison, with a non-parole period of five years and one month.
Sweetman’s sister Laura said she had hoped for “at least 12 years” in jail.
Jonathan Jackson, 31st March 2025
