Moranbah man Bernie Horman’s eye sliced in horrific glassing attack

It took nearly six hours for a team of eye and plastic surgeons to put a Moranbah man’s eye ‘back in one piece’ after a horrific alleged glassing attack. WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT.

What started as a quiet night turned a young Moranbah man’s life upside down after a horrifying alleged glassing ripped through his face and eye.

Bernie Horman said he had been having drinks for a friend’s birthday at a private residence in Moranbah when an altercation erupted with someone Mr Horman had previously worked with.

The 27-year-old diesel fitter said after some back and forth, his alleged attacker took a drinking glass and smashed him in the face with it.

“It knocked me over, a friend came in and tackled him away,” Mr Horman said

But Mr Horman said it wasn’t until later he realised the extent of the injury to his face.

“I didn’t really feel much at the time, it was all adrenaline,” he said.

‘There was stuff coming out from everywhere, they had to put my eye back into one piece’. Picture: Contributed

Mr Horman was rushed to Moranbah Hospital about 1am Saturday November 27 from where he was flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

“That’s when it dawned on me — when they said I was getting flown straight to Brissy,” he said.

It took the team of eye and plastic surgeons nearly six hours to “stitch [his] face” and eye back together.

“There was stuff coming out from everywhere, they had to put my eye back into one piece,” Mr Horman said.

And that was only the first surgery.

‘The second surgery sucked the most because I had to get the retina reattached’. Picture: Contributed

“The second surgery sucked the most because I had to get the retina reattached,” Mr Horman said.

Now for the next seven to 10 days Mr Horman needs to lie facedown for 45 minutes out of every hour.

But Mr Horman said the surgery to restore his vision has had some success and he was able to make out “his surgeon holding up two blurry fingers close” close to his face.

Mr Horman was hoping to be discharged from hospital on Monday to live with his sister Tahnee Horman in Charters Towers who would be helping him to commute back and forth to RBWH in the coming months. Picture: Facebook

Mr Horman hoped to be discharged from hospital on Monday to live with his sister Tahnee Horman in Charters Towers where she would be helping him to commute back and forth to RBWH in the coming months.

“I won’t have a licence for at least another three months,” he said.

Mr Horman wants to be back at work in the washplant at Peak Downs before February 2022, but his hope of operating heavy machinery has been shattered.

“It’s really put a brake on everything,” he said.

The diesel fitter said he was employed at the plant as a casual contractor, so was not entitled to sick leave or holidays while he recovered which would make it difficult to pay his mortgage in the coming months.

Mr Horman’s friend and supervisor Daniel Peppin organised a GoFundMe for Mr Horman to help cover medical costs including physical therapy, specialist visits and time off work.

Mr Horman who was a passionate player for both the Moranbah Miners and the Moranbah Bulls sports teams said he was grateful for everyone who had donated and the inundation of messages of support.

“My phone has just been blowing up, I really appreciate what everyone has been doing for me and I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone when I get back,” he said.

Donations to help Mr Horman’s recovery can be made through his GoFundMe page here.

A man has been charged with grievous bodily harm and is scheduled to appear in court in the New Year.