A Port Kembla man has denied any involvement in a vicious assault that left a man bleeding from the face in a unit complex stairwell last week.
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Sam Russell Myers, 27, faced Wollongong Local Court on Friday after he was charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm in company.
Magistrate Gabriel Fleming released Myers on strict conditional bail despite his "very lengthy criminal history".
"I've been told he is getting his life sorted ... if he is involved, he is putting everything at risk," she said.
Documents tendered to court said police allege Myers and his brother were at their mother's unit in Busby, which is near Liverpool, on January 9.
Police said another resident of the unit complex had been drinking before he went into the stairwell after 10.30pm.
Police allege the brothers left their mother's unit and physically assaulted the man in the stairwell.
The men allegedly struck the victim a number of times in the head and body with unknown objects causing him to bleed heavily.
After an unknown time, the injured man was able to return to his unit where he bled over the floor in various rooms. Police said he was unable to call emergency services as he did not have a phone.
Police allege the brothers returned to their mother's unit and told her what had occurred.
Police allege the mother then sent a text message to her daughter saying the men had "just bashed" a man who was "bleeding out of his ears, nose mouth".
Police allege the daughter told the mother to call Triple 0 however she did not, which prompted the daughter to call police, who attended the scene a short time later.
Police allege the blood in the common area was cleaned as the floor appeared to be wet.
Officers found the injured man in his apartment where they noticed he was covered in blood. Officers observed the left side of the man's face was severely swollen with his eye closed and nose bleeding.
The documents said the mother allegedly declined any knowledge of the assault, telling officers she was asleep and that her sons were not at the unit that night.
The injured man was taken to Liverpool Hospital where scans showed he had a fractured eye socket.
Paramedics at the scene told police the man also had a possible fractured jaw, laceration above and below his eye and a fractured nose.
Myers was arrested on a train travelling from Wollongong to Bulli on January 14 after transport officers stopped him for not having a valid ticket.
He was taken to Wollongong Police Station where he declined an interview.
However, he told officers he was alerted to the alleged assault by his mother after the fact and assisted her in cleaning the blood before returning home to Port Kembla.
Myers claimed he was asleep in his mother's unit during the incident.
Police inspected his hands and did not notice any signs of damage or injury.
In court on Friday, police prosecutor Ben Bragger opposed bail noting the charge was "incredibly serious" and carried a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
Defence lawyer Adam Booker told the court his client denied any involvement in the assault and said the victim had indicated Myers was not involved.
Mr Booker said his client's lengthy criminal history did not involve charges for violence. He said his client had gotten his life back on track as he was working as a landscape apprentice and had been sober for eight months.
As part of his bail conditions, Myers must live at his Port Kembla home, report to police daily, abide by a night curfew, not enter Liverpool and not contact any witnesses.
The matter was adjourned to Liverpool Local Court on January 27.
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