A French tourist has been fined $1100 for damaging the Cenotaph in Sydney's Martin Place.

CCTV footage showed two men climbing the statue of a soldier and placing a traffic cone on his head during a Saturday night out last month. A bayonet was also bent.

Police investigators described the men as "knuckleheads".

In handing down her findings, the Magistrate said Theo Le Pautremat showed remorse for his actions, and that he volunteered for community service.

Twenty-one-year-old, Theo Le Pautremat, made a 'terrible mistake' under the influence of alcohol, according to Magistrate Jane Mottley.

"Regrettably, it's the type of conduct that the courts are faced with dealing with all too often,'' Ms Mottley said.