A Melbourne man who fatally punched a casino patron has lost his appeal to reduce his 10-year prison sentence. The Victoria Court of Appeal upheld the original ruling, determining that Tyson Armstrong's rehabilitation prospects were "not good or even moderate."

The incident occurred at Crown Melbourne on March 27, 2022, when an intoxicated Armstrong attacked 29-year-old Luke Francis without provocation. Security footage showed Armstrong sucker-punching Francis from behind, then choking him against a railing. Francis suffered fatal brain bleeding and was removed from life support two days later.

Armstrong's violent history included previous alcohol-fueled incidents, such as attacking a man in front of children and spitting bloody saliva at a police officer. Despite claiming three years of sobriety before the casino incident and expressing immediate remorse, the court maintained its original sentence.

Under Victoria law, Armstrong must serve at least eight years (80%) of his sentence. The victim's family criticized the sentence as too lenient, with Francis' girlfriend Tessa Penberthy noting that Armstrong would be free by age 37, while Francis lost his chance at having a family or future.

Justice Andrew Tinney initially labeled Armstrong a "violent, drunken thug" during the June 2023 sentencing. The Appeals Court justices Stephen McLeish, Christopher Boyce, and Rowena Orr concluded that previous lighter sentences had failed to prevent Armstrong's deadly behavior against "a complete stranger going about his life."

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