A father of two who allegedly punched a man in the head causing him to need emergency surgery after a violent brawl, was refused bail on Tuesday.
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Albion Park's Tyson Tauteka Owens, 30, fronted Wollongong Local Court over allegations he recklessly caused grievous bodily harm to the man during a fight on Crown Street about 3.15am on Sunday.
The victim remains in an induced coma, in a critical but stable condition.
Documents tendered to court said the victim and his two friends were walking along Crown Street following a night out at Harp Hotel.
Police will allege Owens was with a group of friends, standing out the front of Tusk nightclub, when one of the men made a racist remark towards the victim and his friends as they walked past.
The group did not react or provoke the situation, police said.
A short time later, a friend of Owens walked across the road with his arms open, prompting the victim to shake his hand.
Police will allege the man then attempted to shake the hand of one of the friends of the victim however, he rejected the handshake prompting the man to become aggressive.
The victim tried to calm the man however police allege the man assaulted the friend while the victim tried to intervene.
Police will allege Owens jogged towards the group, placing down a beer bottle on the footpath.
Owens then alleged placed a cigarette in his mouth and "using his right hand delivered one vicious blow which contacts the victim's head".
"The force of the punch instantly knocks the victim to the ground whereby the victim hits his head heavily instantly knocking him out," the police facts said.
Owens then allegedly assaulted the victim's friend while he lay motionless on the footpath.
Police believe other friends of Owens rolled the victim onto his back before Owens and the other man ran from the scene.
Police will allege Owens did not render first aid to the man or check on his welfare.
Witnesses called paramedics for the victim who had suffered massive head trauma before he was taken to Wollongong Hospital for emergency surgery to treat an arterial bleed.
Police arrived and established a crime scene where the beer bottle was seized and later forensically examined. Owen's fingerprints were identified.
On Monday afternoon Owens was arrested and his clothes from the night were seized before he was taken to Lake Illawarra police station and charged.
In court on Tuesday, CCTV footage of the brawl was played.
Magistrate Susan McGowan refused to grant Owens bail after seeing CCTV footage of the incident.
"It was deliberate," she said. "He put the bottle down ready to engage in something.
"People have to get away from idea that this sort of violence is condoned and people won't go to jail. This sort of violence is fuelled by alcohol and the community is sick of it.
"I deal with these matters day in and day out."
Magistrate McGowan also took into account the strong prosecution case and that a custodial sentence was likely if convicted, despite Owens' relatively limited history.
Defence lawyer Matt Ward argued that while the CCTV showed the confrontation was "graphic" he said it was clear the co-accused was the instigator and the one who sought to escalate the violence.
Following further inquiries, a 22-year-old man from Mount Warrigal was arrested and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray. He will appear in Wollongong Local Court on December 22.
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