NewsBite

Exclusive

Patonga Boathouse bucks brawl: Footage reveals attack on police officers

Exclusive footage of a Patonga bucks party brawl — where a policeman was choked from behind — that has never been seen outside court, has finally been released.

Almost two years after a drunken buck’s party erupted into a brawl outside the Patonga Boathouse Hotel, exclusive footage of the incident can now been revealed.

The confronting body worn footage, taken by the two police officers involved in brawl on February 23 2019, has never been seen outside court.

The Express Advocate has been granted access following Luke Robert Maloney’s sentence severity appeal in the Gosford District Court last week which saw him released from jail.

The footage reveals how the incident unfolded from the moment the police officers arrive at the hotel to the confrontation.

Officers arrived and spoke to Michael Bovis (right) and the others from the bucks party at the Patonga Boathouse. The man in the white pants and the man in the green shirt were present but not charged with anything. Picture: NSW Police body worn camera
Officers arrived and spoke to Michael Bovis (right) and the others from the bucks party at the Patonga Boathouse. The man in the white pants and the man in the green shirt were present but not charged with anything. Picture: NSW Police body worn camera

“Get back now, last warning or I’ll gas you,” an officer yells. “Get back, get back …”

As an officer is attacked from behind, there are desperate screams of “Get off the cop, get off the cop”.

During Maloney’s hearing in the Gosford Local Court, the court heard Maloney had been with a group of men celebrating a buck’s party at Newport on Sydney’s northern beaches when they caught ferries over to Patonga.

The members of the first group to arrive were refused entry because they were intoxicated and alternative transport was arranged for the men, dressed in Hawaiian shirts, to leave.

Officers tell Joshua Bovis (yellow/red shirt) he is under arrest for allegedly assaulting a staff member from the Patonga Boathouse. The man in the green shirt with a beard was present but not charged. Picture: NSW Police
Officers tell Joshua Bovis (yellow/red shirt) he is under arrest for allegedly assaulting a staff member from the Patonga Boathouse. The man in the green shirt with a beard was present but not charged. Picture: NSW Police

When the buck Joshua Bovis, his dad Michael Bovis, Maloney and others arrived and were refused entry Joshua Bovis slapped a security guard behind the head and they refused to leave the area.

Two police officers arrived and spoke to the hotel staff before going to speak to Joshua Bovis.

During Maloney’s hearing, Magistrate Peter Barnett said the situation quickly turned violent with the officers set upon.

“This was a cowardly attack by a group of males on two police who were outnumbered,” he said.

Michael Bovis tries to stop one of the officer from arresting his son Joshua Bovis.
Michael Bovis tries to stop one of the officer from arresting his son Joshua Bovis.

The court heard Maloney grabbed the officer with his arm across his neck and forced him to the ground and choked him.

The officer gave evidence, telling the court he thought he was about to lose consciousness while the hotel’s security guard said the officer’s eyes were bulging, tongue hanging out and he looked like he couldn’t breathe”.

In July 2020, Maloney was found guilty of intentionally choking a police officer in the execution of their duty and assaulting an officer occasioning actual bodily harm and sentenced to 16 months imprisonment with a non parole period of eight months.

Still images captured on police body worn video as a confrontation erupts when police go to arrest Joshua Bovis for allegedly assaulting a staff member at the Patonga Boathouse. The man in the green shirt and the man in the navy shorts were present but not charged with anything.
Still images captured on police body worn video as a confrontation erupts when police go to arrest Joshua Bovis for allegedly assaulting a staff member at the Patonga Boathouse. The man in the green shirt and the man in the navy shorts were present but not charged with anything.

Last week, the father of four was released during a sentence severity appeal in the Gosford District Court after serving four months of his sentence.

However his release came with consequences, with Judge David Wilson extending the sentence to 18 months to be served as an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO). An ICO is the equivalent of a jail sentence served in the community.

The 36-year-old, of Umina Beach, initially appealed his conviction before Judge Wilson, maintaining his innocence. His defence argued it could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt that Maloney attacked the officer.

Luke Maloney arriving at Gosford Local Court where he pleaded not guilty to intentionally choking a police officer after a bucks party was refused entry to The Boathouse Hotel at Patonga. Picture: Richard Noone
Luke Maloney arriving at Gosford Local Court where he pleaded not guilty to intentionally choking a police officer after a bucks party was refused entry to The Boathouse Hotel at Patonga. Picture: Richard Noone

However when the court was shown a snapshot of the body worn footage, showing Maloney in the background on top of the police officer, the appeal was quickly withdrawn and the defence lodged the sentence severity appeal.

“To say he ought to have known better is an understatement,” Judge Wilson said. “He has a history of violence against police officers.”

He said the lives of police officers should not be put at risk by the behaviour of intoxicated people.

Still images captured on police body worn video as a confrontation erupts when police go to arrest Joshua Bovis for allegedly assaulting a staff member at the Patonga Boathouse.
Still images captured on police body worn video as a confrontation erupts when police go to arrest Joshua Bovis for allegedly assaulting a staff member at the Patonga Boathouse.

Michael Bovis was sentenced to a 12-month intensive corrections order, $400 fine and 200 hours of community work for his involvement which included assault occasioning actual bodily harm in breaking the security guard’s jaw, while his son Joshua got six months jail — reduced from nine months on appeal — for assaulting police.

Another co-accused Cullen Richardson, 18, was given a community corrections order for 12 months and fined $100 for causing fear and failing to quit.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/central-coast/patonga-boathouse-bucks-brawl-footage-reveals-attack-on-police-officers/news-story/e7c8308aca8102c358bfb4454b521432