Tributes flow for alleged assault victim Matthew Hayes

Heartbroken friends are still trying to come to terms with the shock death of ‘Matty’ Hayes, who died after an alleged assault at a Queensland pub, witnessed by his 10-year-old daughter.

Tributes continue to flow for Matthew Hayes, the devoted father and friend who died following an alleged assault at a Queensland hotel.

Tributes continue to flow for Matthew Hayes, the devoted father and friend who tragically died following an alleged assault outside the Lighthouse Hotel on Tuesday, June 20.

A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said any changes to charges against the man who allegedly shoved Matthew, causing him to fall and hit his head, would be heard at his next appearance in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on August 8.

Heartbroken friends have sent more tributes to Matthew, telling of his devotion to his 10-year-old daughter who “was his world”.

Courtney Renee works at the River Culture Café in Burnett Heads, where Matthew went every afternoon with his daughter.

“Matty would always speak so highly of his daughter and how ‘she was his world’ and she truly was,” Ms Renee said.

“He would always bring her and her friends in and buy them whatever they wanted; they truly were treated like his own.

“He devoted his life to make (his daughter) and her friends happy. He will be truly missed by many. It’s not the same not seeing his face every afternoon.

“R.I.P Matty you may be gone but you won’t be forgotten.”

A single father for most of his daughter’s young life, Matthew Hayes had struggled with balancing after-school care with working as a welder in Woodford, and had moved to Bundaberg in December 2022 to be closer to his family.

Shayley Stanford’s daughter, Lahny, and Matthew’s daughter were best friends. Ms Stanford herself had developed a close friendship with Matthew through school pick-ups and babysitting the two girls.

In a message to Matthew, she said: “I never got to tell you I was proud of you”.

“You were meant to come home; never did I imagine you wouldn’t,” she said.

“When I rang around Wednesday morning looking for you I never in a million years imagined I’d never see you again.

“I’m super proud of you and I always had your back, I hope you at least knew you always had me in your corner.

“You treated my daughter as your own and I will never forget that and neither will she.

“She misses you and your fishing trips, and she was so looking forward to tasting the spaghetti you had made for her and your daughter but never made it back home.

“You were amazing, and you did an awesome job at raising a beautiful little kind hearted girl. I hope you’re at peace now.”

Matthew was walking home with his daughter when he was allegedly assaulted outside the Lighthouse Hotel on Tuesday, June 20.

Mitchell Kieran Joyce appeared before Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday, June 23 for a bail application while on a charge of grievous bodily harm in relation to the alleged altercation.

Matty Hayes

Magistrate John McInnes refused Mr Joyce’s bail application, saying he was alleged to have run towards Mr Hayes and shoved him “with force,” causing him to fall to the ground with his head hitting the bitumen driveway at the front of the hotel.

The court heard Mr Hayes’ young daughter was at the hotel and witnessed the incident.

After initially being taken by emergency services to Bundaberg Hospital, Matthew was flown to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital when his condition deteriorated.

Tragically, his mother, Jule Dowdell, made the decision to take Matthew off life support after medical staff told her “there was no chance that he was coming back”.

Matthew died due to the critical injuries sustained in the alleged assault on Friday, June 23.

“As much as I didn’t want any end to it, you have to make whatever decision works for them, not me,” Mrs Dowdell said.

“And I had to make a decision for his daughter, because she can’t make it for herself.”

DONATION HELPS FOUR OTHER PEOPLE

Mrs Dowdell was consoled by the knowledge that, with Matthew having registered as an organ donor many years ago, his tragic death would transform the lives of other families.

Transplant operations for four organ recipients were already under way when Mrs Dowdell departed Brisbane on Friday afternoon.

“That decision was made on the basis that four families’ lives hopefully took a change for the better,” Mrs Dowdell said.

“It is a consolation, the only positive that came out of the whole thing. He did his bit for making somebody else’s family have a positive instead of a negative result.”

Matthew’s final act of altruism was fitting for a man described by loved ones as a devoted father and loyal friend.

“He was a really good friend, he was really loyal,” Mrs Dowdell said.

“He was one of those friends that would give you the shirt off his back. If you were his friend, you were his friend.”

A single father for most of his daughter’s young life, Matthew had struggled with balancing after school care with working as a welder in Woodford, and had moved to Bundaberg in December 2022 to be closer to his family.

Matthew was a fan of Eminem and soccer, and was a coach of a local junior soccer team.

Matthew was a fan of Eminem and soccer, and was a coach of a local junior soccer team.

But more than anything, his driving passion was being the best father he could be.

Mrs Hayes said Matthew’s daughter was “his be all and end all”.

“His daughter was his life,” she said. “They spent the weekend in summer surfing, and they spent their afternoons down at the skatepark.”

Friends created a memorial at Matthew’s home on Saturday, including flowers and two porcelain stones with messages reading “enlightened wishes” and “thinking of you”.

Like his father and two brothers Matthew had a penchant for tattoos, and he had a design including his daughter’s name tattooed on the side of his head.

Tragically, the tattoo was obscured by his life-ending injuries.

Lahny Stanford asked her mother to create a memorial for Matthew which they placed at his home on Saturday.

Along with a bouquet of flowers and picture of Matthew with his daughter, the memorial included two porcelain stones of Lahny’s choosing.

Messages inscribed on the stones read “enlightened wishes” and “thinking of you”.