No jail for chef who stabbed patron's hand

A Sydney tandoori chef who skewered the hand of a customer who complained about a two-hour wait has avoided a jail sentence.

A Sydney chef who stabbed a hungry customer in the hand with a tandoori skewer has avoided prison time after a court heard he had been provoked.

Mati Rahman, 45, was found guilty of recklessly wounding Jamil Hossain with a tandoori skewer at his wife's Indian restaurant in Sydney's southwest during a fight last year.

Mr Hossain was part of group of customers at the Lakemba restaurant Red Chilli who had complained about a two-hour wait for their food.

Magistrate Margaret Quinn on Thursday told Rahman that imprisonment was a last resort in his case and instead sentenced him to a five-month good behaviour bond.

However, police prosecutor Adam Wilczek told Burwood Local Court that Mr Rahman continues to deny he chased and attacked the victim.

"The accused appears to have shown no remorse," he said.

Rahman's lawyer Warwick Ward said the chef had never been in trouble with the law until the incident.

"It would have to be provocation for this man - at 10.30 at night - to have to undo his previous 25 years of a blameless life," he said.

Mr Ward said his client has suffered enough punishment from the media coverage of the "strange confrontation".

"The totality of the punishment inflicted on this gentleman includes the page-four photo of him in The Daily Telegraph," he said.

"He has been held up for ridicule in the community."

Magistrate Quinn said she did not accept Rahman's continued denial about the stabbing of Mr Hossain's hand with a skewer.

The metal stick went through Mr Hossain's palm and required eight stitches.

But the magistrate conceded the victim and his friends had been drunk and behaving inappropriately.

"Rahman's actions were unacceptable and criminal but he was in a difficult position at the time," she said.

Customers should not be injured "whatever their anxiety about not getting their food on time", the magistrate said, and labelled the delay a "disgrace".