A MAN who was part of an attack on a tourist in a case of mistaken theft has been fined $2500.

Nathan Benjamin Ford, 25, of Cannonvale, pleaded guilty in Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday to committing public nuisance in the vicinity of a licensed premises.

Prosecutor Robert Beamish told the court Ford and a co-accused had attacked a European tourist in Airlie Beach on December 1 after they mistakenly believed the man had stolen Ford's girlfriend's phone.

Mr Beamish said the pair had been using a find my phone app to locate the missing phone and it had led them to the central lagoon car park.

The court heard the pair confronted the 27-year-old tourist who had just arrived in town and the co-accused punched him, before both Ford and his co-accused continued to attack the man as he lay on the ground.

Another man came to the tourist's aid and "pushing, shoving and punches” continued along the footpath from the car park to Magnum's Hotel where a security guard helped the tourist, Mr Beamish said.

The court was told Ford and his co-accused ran off and were later pointed out by a staff member at Beaches Bar and Grill where they had been taking part in a head shave earlier.

The victim was left with a bloody nose and a ripped shirt, and was treated by ambulance officers at the scene.

When police caught up with Ford 10 days later he told them he had not been involved in the fight, before changing his story to say he had been attacked for no reason, Mr Beamish said.

Ford's solicitor Rosemary Varley said the co-accused was "more the instigator of the fight”.

She said Ford "came in at the end” to break up the fight between the co-accused and the tourist.

Magistrate Ron Muirhead was not impressed with the attack, which was Ford's third public nuisance offence since August.

"You've got to wake up to yourself,” he said.

"You should know better.

"(The co-offender) may be the main offender, but you were certainly involved.”

Mr Muirhead said the maximum fine for a public nuisance offence was about $3000, and he chose a fine near the upper scales of that to reflect that fact Ford had been given on-the-spot fines for public nuisances in a five-month period.

No conviction was recorded by the court against Ford.