A Kiwi has avoided a mandatory jail sentence for assault because the man he punched in the face insulted his mother.
Solomon Renata pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in the Darwin Local court on Friday.
The 39-year-old was facing a mandatory three-month jail sentence due to a record of prior violence, NT News reported.
The fight began when Renata's mother accidentally drove her car the wrong way around the carpark at Palmerston Sports Club, Darwin, the court heard.
Prosecutor Hamish Riley said: '[She] has driven the wrong way ... and met a Toyota Landcruiser driving the right way around the carpark.'