The DJ Who Headbutted Tony Abbott Has Been Convicted

One of 2017’s many bizarre highlight-lowlight moments occurred back in September when a Tasmanian DJ, Astro “Funknukl” Labe, headbutted former Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Hobart.

If you’ll recall, the nation was in the midst of a heated debate over marriage equality at the time, and tensions were running high. Although Funknukl, a self-styled “lone anarchist”, musician, and barista did claim after the fact that he’d acted alone and didn’t represent the “Yes” campaign.

Today, Funknukl has faced the music and been convicted in the Hobart Magistrates Court. He’d initially been charged with common assault, but this has since been upgraded to the more serious crime of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. Abbott claimed at the time that he’d sustained minor injuries as a result of the headbutting.

While many assumed that the DJ’s smooth transition from handshake to headbutt was spontaneous, today the magistrate found that Funknukl’s assault was more premeditated than it seemed at the time. He’d actually joked with friends about headbutting ol’ mate onion eater earlier in the day. Which, uh… was he the only guy in Australia doing that? Unlikely.

Does Australia stand with DJ Funknukl? This YouTube clip proclaims him a national hero. A GoFundMe to support his legal costs was set up last year, but then deleted. Which is unfortunate, because publicity stunts don’t come cheap: the DJ now faces up to two years of jail time accompanied by a $25,000 fine.

He’ll know his sentence in March.