Tyson Owen charged over alleged one-punch during CBD brawl

An Illawarra roofer allegedly punched a man in the back of the head during a alcohol-fuelled brawl, knocking him out cold.

Tyson Owen has been refused bail over an alleged one-punch attack during a vicious brawl. Picture: Facebook

An Illawarra roofer has been refused bail after police allege he knocked another man out cold during an alcohol-fuelled brawl in the Wollongong CBD.

Tyson Owen, 30, was arrested at an Albion Park home on Monday, after police allege he took off after punching a 36-year-old man in the head during a fight near a Wollongong nightclub.

The punch left the man unconscious and in a critical condition, requiring emergency surgery and in an induced coma.

Police established a crime scene on Crown Street after the man was seriously injured.

Owen was charged with reckless grievous bodily harm and faced Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, where Magistrate Susan McGowan denied his application for bail, saying the community was “sick” of alcohol-fuelled violence.

“People have to get away from the idea that this sort of violence is condoned and people won’t go to jail,” she said.

“This sort of violence fuelled by alcohol, the community is sick of it. I deal with these matters day in and day out.”

In documents tendered to the court, police allege the 36-year-old man was walking along Crown Street with two mates in the early hours of Sunday morning, when another man made a racist comment toward them as they passed a nightclub.

The racial slur sparked a verbal altercation, before police allege it escalated into a physical confrontation.

About 3.11am, police allege one of the men from the nightclub approached the group of three men, prompting the alleged victim to put out his hand for the man to shake, in an effort to calm the situation.

Another physical altercation allegedly erupted and was captured on nearby CCTV cameras. In the documents, police allege Owen ran toward the group, putting his beer down, before allegedly delivering a “vicious blow” to the back of the 36-year-old man’s head.

Police canvassed the scene for evidence the following morning.

“The force of the punch instantly knocks the man to the ground whereby he hits his head heavily, instantly knocking him out,” court documents read.

The man’s friends ran to his aid, before police allege Owen and his mates fled the scene.

In the documents, police claim the man suffered “massive head trauma” that caused an arterial bleed to the head which resulted in emergency surgery.

A crime scene was established and the beer bottle Owen allegedly left at the scene was seized. A fingerprint on the bottle allegedly belongs to Owen.

Owen was arrested on Monday and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station where he was charged. A second man was also charged with affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was granted bail to appear before the courts next month.

Sickening CCTV of the incident was played in court on Tuesday, with Owen’s defence lawyer Matt Ward telling Magistrate McGowan his client did not start the fight.

“It is very clear the co-accused is the instigator, and the person who seeks to escalate the violence,” he said.

Despite Mr Ward arguing his client could abide by strict bail conditions, Magistrate McGowan refused the application for bail, saying that if found guilty, Owen would be facing a jail sentence.

The matter will return to court later this month.