/US
SAN DIEGO, California (AP) -- Two Australian navy sailors have pleaded guilty in San Diego to assault charges for beating a man in a sidewalk brawl after an argument over the merits of Australian vs. American football.
Sailors Philip Graeme Ferres and Kolis Barba were in San Diego last November on shore leave from the HMS Sydney.
A man they met in a bar told police they got into a heated debate that also involved the Iraq war. Jeffrey Wilkinson says he suffered a broken nose and rib and needed 30 stitches for wounds on his face.
Prosecutors agreed to drop battery charges against the sailors and a cocaine-possession charge against Ferres in return for the guilty pleas they entered Monday.
Defense lawyer Matthew O'Connor says that when the sailors are sentenced next month, they could face up to 90 days in custody. He said the Australian navy has not made a decision on any additional punishment. E-mail to a friend 
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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