A 19-year-old cruise ship passenger was fined $3,000 yesterday after he admitted an attack on a man and a woman on the Norwegian Escape.

Dominic Cappellino, 19, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to an assault on Paul Paolino and Gabrielle Tomeo.

The court heard that Mr Paolino and Ms Tomeo were also on board the ship, which was berthed in Dockyard, when they found a man bleeding and unconscious near some elevators. As the couple tried to help the injured man, Antonio Cappellino, the uncle of the defendant, shouted: “Yes, I knocked my f*****g brother out.”

Dominic Cappellino confronted Ms Tomeo, who said that she was trying to help and walked away with her boyfriend.

Cappellino tackled Mr Paolino to the ground and punched him until he lost consciousness.

Cappellino also attacked Ms Tomeo and went for Mr Paolino again after he came round. Ms Tomeo pulled the defendant off her boyfriend, but fell backwards and hit her head on the floor. She tried to escape, but Cappellino bit her left leg before an unknown man separated the two.

Police arrested Cappellino, who later claimed that he had acted in self-defence. The incident happened in the early hours of August 30.

Senior magistrate Juan Wolffe heard that Ms Tomeo suffered bruising to her lower back as well as a bite wound on her leg. She was given a tetanus shot for the bite and painkillers at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Mr Wolffe also heard that Mr Paolino suffered a broken nose and cuts to his lip and forehead.

Cappellino, from New York, apologised for his actions and said that it was “out of character”.

He added: “I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and it just wasn’t the right move.

“I was under the influence. It was an honest mistake.”

Mr Wolffe said that the attack could not have been a mistake.

He added: “People drink all the time and you don’t see them attacking people like this.”

Mr Wolffe ordered Cappellino to pay the fines before he left court.

• It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding court cases. As we are legally liable for any libellous or defamatory comments made on our website, this move is for our protection as well as that of our readers.