Witness recounts moment a Gayndah man was knocked unconscious outside a country pub

A witness has captured a one-punch attack outside a southeast Queensland pub that saw a man left on the street with bleeding on the brain and skull fractures. WARNING: GRAPHIC

Holly Cormack

@CormackHolly

less than 2 min read

May 28, 2021 - 8:31AM

Man knocked unconscious in one-punch attack outside Gayndah pub

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Watching on in horror as a man’s unconscious body was dragged off the road outside the Burnett Hotel in Gayndah, a witness recounts hearing his “head crack on the bitumen” after being knocked to the ground in a one-punch attack.

The witness, who wished to remain anonymous, said on Saturday, May 22 she observed a verbal altercation between the victim, aged in his 40s, and another person, who was not responsible for the alleged assault, in the smoking area of the hotel.

Man suffers brain injury after one-punch attack outside Gayndah pub

The victim left the licensed venue about 10.40pm before he was approached by another man on the corner of Bridge and Meson Streets where the attack occurred.

“(The victim) walked around to the side of the pub, but the guy never came out,” she said.

“He started walking off and another guy followed him. He turned around, but he didn’t have a chance.

“It happened in about four seconds.

“I heard his head crack on the bitumen.”

$The moment a man was knocked unconscious outside the Burnett Hotel in Gayndah, leaving him with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.$

The moment a man was knocked unconscious outside the Burnett Hotel in Gayndah, leaving him with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.

Video of the incident shows one punch connect with the victim's head before he fell to the road and stopped moving.

The victim suffered a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, and a black eye, according to a Queensland Police spokeswoman.

The witness said three people dragged the unconscious man from the road onto the footpath.

“At first people thought it was some kind of joke, and then the ambulance arrived,” she said.

Paramedics transported the man to Gayndah Hospital before an RACQ LifeFlight helicopter airlifted him to Bundaberg Hospital on Saturday night where he remains in a stable condition.

It is understood Maryborough Crime Investigation Branch detectives are investigating the incident.

No charges have been laid at this point.