Sailors escape jail term
A NAVY engineer and footy fanatic from the Torres Strait has escaped a hefty jail term in the US, despite admitting he bashed an American law student after a drunken argument about football.
Kolis Barba, 24, and navy mate Philip Ferres, 26, entered guilty pleas in the San Diego Superior Court yesterday to attacking Jeffery Wilkinson last year while they were on shore leave from the HMAS Sydney.
Barba, from the Torres Strait, and Ferres met Mr Wilkinson at a San Diego bar before going to a party where an argument flared about the merits of Australian rugby league against American gridiron.
They also argued about Australian and US troops being in the Middle East.
The argument broke into a fight and Wilkinson received a broken nose and rib, fractured eye socket and 30 stitches in his face.
Far Northern relatives of Barba, who most recently lived in Mackay, last night described him as a "big footy fan".
His aunt, of Innisfail, said his family was relieved he may escape a hefty jail sentence as part of a plea deal reached yesterday.
The men were facing up to seven years in a California prison, but in the deal with US prosecutors, Barba and Ferres were sentenced to 90 days of work, possibly at the US naval base in San Diego.
At night, they will return to a low-security prison run by probation officials. Under the deal, a possession of cocaine charge against Ferres was dropped.
"This has been going on for a while so it’s good that something has actually started to happen," the relative said.
"We’re thinking about it all the time because it’s hard to get any news from over there, to talk to them.
"You just have to watch and wait."
She said family had been worried about Barba and what punishment he might receive.
"It’s different laws over there and you’ve got to abide by their laws," the aunt said.
Comments by Barba on his online Facebook page revealed he was confident of returning home "soon".
"Man lookin 4ward 2 comer back 2 aus, my mum n dad want me 2 move back up the straits," he wrote on February 9.
"If i do man u will love it up there so much n not eva want 2 leave."
The sailors’ US lawyer also revealed they were anxious to get home, but feared they may be discharged from the navy when they returned to Australia.
"They’ve been away since September and they want to get back now and this (the plea deal) is the quickest way of getting back," Matt O’Connor said.
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Footy fanatics: Australian navy mates Kolis Barba and Philip Ferres in San Diego, in the US.
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