The man accused of headbutting former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told News Corp that the incident had nothing to do with the same-sex marriage debate.

Astro ‘Funknukl’ Labe, who is 38 years old, a DJ and a self described anarchist, told Hobart’s The Mercury that he was motivated by his longstanding dislike of the former Prime Minister.

Labe said he supports marriage equality but his actions had nothing to with the YES campaign.

“It was nothing really remotely to do with that. It’s just about Tony Abbott — The f***ing worm that he is,” Labe told the newspaper.

“All it was is I saw Tony Abbott and I’d had half a skinful and I wanted to nut the c***.

“I want to divorce myself [from the same-sex marriage issue] — not because I disagree with their stance — but this was nothing to do with that. That’s just my personal hatred.”

Labe admitted he was wearing a sticker supporting the introduction of same-sex marriage but said it was just because a friend was handing them out earlier in the day and had stuck one on his jacket.

Labe’s account of what occurred matches Abbott’s description of the event.

“I was like ‘Tony, Tony’, I kind of trotted up behind him. I trotted up behind him, ‘I just want to shake your hand and just went bang. Kind of missed it. Gave him a fat lip.”

“He got off pretty lightly. He’s just lucky I’m not a violent c***.” Labe said.

Labe will appear in a Hobart next month and while he said he will apologise for his actions, his opinion of Abbott had not changed.

“I’m an anarchist, he’s an evil c***.” he said.

Following the incident Abbott said it was “more than a little disturbing that some supporters of same-sex marriage behave this way”.

While Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz, who said the confrontation was “yet again another example of the ugliness of the Yes campaign”.

“Their slogan of ‘love is love’ is unfortunately shown in practice to be intolerance, not wanting people to be able to have their point of view,” Abetz said on ABC News Breakfast.

OIP Staff