An enraged Australian golfer crippled a playing partner when he threw his club in disgust at a bad shot and hit the man on the head, The Courier-Mail reported Wednesday.
A Queensland court was told Daniel Patrick Betts, Dane Parvianen, his father and another friend were playing in a foursome at the Noosa golf club on the Sunshine Coast, southeast Queensland, in December 2009 when Betts lost his cool after a shot, whacked his wedge into the ground and threw it at a golf cart.
The court heard the club sailed into Parvianen's head and dropped him to the ground, leaving the now 27-year-old with a severe head injury that makes him unable to work, play sport or read and write.
In the District Court at Maroochydore in June, Betts pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Parvianen and was jailed for two years, to be suspended after six months.
Betts appealed his sentence as manifestly excessive, however, in a unanimous judgment Tuesday the court of appeal refused to reduce his jail time.
