TODAY we've published a court report about a man who has ended up with a criminal conviction after rising to the provocation of a group of men who were repeatedly taunting him in a bar – and I can't help but feel sorry for him.

Luke Sturman, 28, punched a man in the face after being mocked again and again for his muscular physique, with the taunts seeming to have a homophobic edge.

The court heard that “comments were made about his size and references to how muscly he was" and that the group "asked if he was good at looking after himself" and "talked to him about tight shirts and kept approaching him throughout the night."

Although I don't condone Sturman punching one of the men, James Lambert, clearly he was provoked, as the court heard that Sturman "bought them a drink halfway through the evening to calm things down" and "moved away from the group and talked to his friend.”

You could argue members of the group could have been in court too for harassment, but Sturman is the one who now has a criminal conviction to his name and has to deal with the issues that will cause him.