Evil Genius

The Scottish couple and York, neighbours at the caravan park, were becoming friends and spent the night of January 27 drinking at the Star Hotel in Tumut.

However, towards the end of the night, an argument between York and the pair about creationism versus evolution escalated into a shouting match at the pub.

The couple, both biomedical scientists, had been arguing the case of evolution, while York had taken a more biblical view of history.

"Although this became perhaps a little sharp edged, it did not really amount to anything," Justice Michael Adams said during York's sentencing in the New South Wales Supreme Court today.

"For some reason, however ... the offender's mood changed suddenly and he began to abuse Mr Boa and Ms Brown.

"There was no hint of a physical confrontation and what a happened amounted to little more than a brief verbal contretemps."

Although the altercation had been defused by the time the Scottish tourists left the hotel, it became inflamed again at the caravan park when all three were quite drunk.

According to Ms Brown, York was making dinner when he attacked the couple outside his tent, stabbing Mr Boa with a kitchen knife as the argument escalated.