Sam Worthington avoids jail for pap punch

Avatar star Sam Worthington has avoided jail after slugging a New York paparazzo during an altercation involving girlfriend Lara Bingle.

Worthington did not appear in Manhattan Criminal Court when he entered a conditional dismissal deal on April 8, and the matter slipped through without drawing any media attention at the time.

His lawyer told the court he was contractually committed to a project in Europe preventing him from appearing, but he filed a statement to the court, the New York Daily News reports.

"I understand that as long as I continue to lead a law abiding life, this matter will be dismissed and sealed," Worthington wrote in the statement.

The Perth-raised actor was arrested after punching celebrity photographer Sheng Li on February 23.

"I was just protecting my girlfriend," he told police as he was arrested.

The assault charge carried a maximum one-year prison term, but first time offenders are rarely jailed.