An intoxicated teenager who stood by while a Helensburgh Workers Club director was bashed could benefit from some old-fashioned lessons on life, a judge said yesterday.

Judge Paul Conlon, in Wollongong District Court, blasted Samuel Hall and young people in general who "are always looking for excuses" for their behaviour.

"One of life's lessons taught to me by my father which is not taught to kids today is that if you run with idiots you get dragged down with them," he said.

Hall, 18, pleaded guilty to one count of affray and two counts of resisting arrest at Helensburgh on January 11 this year.

Hall was with a number of other young men on the day when the 48-year-old victim, Sean Emmett, left the club and confronted the group about a spray can one of them was using.

"The group, including Hall, swore at the victim and one of them (not Hall) punched the victim to the head knocking him to the ground," police said in a statement of facts to the court.

The group fled the scene and Mr Emmett was taken to Sutherland Hospital with a fractured left eye socket and broken jaw.

Investigations led to a member of the group being arrested for the assault.

Hall became involved in the arrest and struggled with police, the court heard. He swore at police and resisted attempts by two officers to handcuff him before he was arrested.

Hall was initially charged with inflicting Mr Emmett's injuries, but that charge was later amended.

Defence counsel Greg West said the matter got out of hand when Hall, who had been drinking, thought he was being blamed for something he didn't do.

Mr West said Hall had come from a stable family and did not have a record.

Judge Conlon said he was confident that if Hall learned that alcohol and running with idiots was a bad combination, then he was unlikely to offend again.

He convicted Hall and placed him on a one-year good behaviour bond.