The son of a legendary rugby league player has narrowly avoided being sent to jail after he smashed a glass over his neighbour’s head and racially abused a police officer.

Luke Peter Provan appeared in Sydney Downing Centre Court on Thursday after admitting to drunkenly attacking his neighbour Andrew Morrow while clutching a glass of whiskey.

The court was told the 55-year-old had drunk six beers before switching to “straight whiskey” on the night of June 26 when he decided to go to Mr Morrow’s house to discuss an ongoing dispute.

He had a glass of whiskey in hand when he banged on his neighbour’s door and barged inside, the court was told.

Judge Michael McHugh said Provan had entered the home “knowing his uninvited presence would cause the victim to be intimidated”.

Despite being asked to leave several times, Provan continued to talk to Mr Morrow about their issues and became agitated when he tried to walk away.

The court was told he grabbed his neighbour by the collar and punched him in the face and neck multiple times.

Provan then smashed his whiskey glass over Mr Morrow’s head, shattering the tumbler and causing a bloody 2cm gash on the man’s head.

His lawyers argued it was a “spontaneous tussle” and “a misguided attempt to resolve a dispute rather than escalate it”.

Provan was grasping a half-full bottle of Jack Daniels when police arrested him at the house, the court was told.

As he was being arrested, he became hostile and called a sergeant a “motherf***er” and “an inbred c***”.

While in police custody, Judge McHugh said the builder was “belligerent, aggressive, and expressed extreme hatred towards police”.

He made “graphic death threats” and abusive comments motivated by his hatred of Middle Eastern ethnic groups.

“I hate the Greeks. I hate the Lebos,” the facts reveal he yelled while in the holding cell.

“I’ll fucking kill you and your family.”

The reprehensible conduct occurred in Nowra on the NSW south coast, where the court was told Provan moved “in an attempt to get away from the Provan name”.

The court was told he felt the weight of the surname made famous by his father, late Balmain Tigers great Peter Provan, and his uncle, NRL Immortal Norm Provan.

“His father is a well known, if not legendary footballer,” Judge McHugh said.

The court was told “a lot was expected” of the 55-year-old because of his celebrity pedigree, but he had turned to drug and alcohol use at an early age.

It was not the first time Provan had been in trouble with the police, the court was told.

He had two previous convictions for assaulting police in the execution of their duty, one of which occurred when he was in a “substantially intoxicated state”.

The Crown prosecutor argued Provan’s ongoing negative attitude towards police and continued altercations with officers should be a cause for concern.

Judge McHugh acknowledged Provan suffered from poor social confidence, anxiety and mental health difficulties.

His long-term drug and alcohol issues would be best treated in the community, the judge determined.

“I find the offender has demonstrated genuine contrition and remorse for his actions,” he said.

Judge McHugh convicted Provan for the charges of aggravated enter dwelling with intent, reckless wounding, and intimidation.

He was sentenced to a two-year intensive corrections order with strict conditions not to contact or approach Mr Morrow.

Provan will be allowed to move back into his home, which he was forced to vacate to adhere to the distance conditions of an apprehended violence order enforced to protect his neighbour.