Seriously injured Rockhampton dad, alleged attacker named

Disturbing details have emerged about an alleged assault in a Qld nightclub precinct which ended in a construction worker being charged and a business owner dad seriously hurt.

Rockhampton man Aaron Willie was the victim of an alleged one-punch assault in the Safe Night Precinct on June 8, 2025. He was in a serious but stable condition in Rockhampton Hospital as of June 13.

The identity of a dad who suffered life-threatening injuries in a nightclub precinct and that of his alleged attacker can be revealed.

Aaron Willie remained in a serious but stable condition on Friday afternoon.

It comes after Charlie Jamol Fetoai, 35, appeared in Rockhampton Magistrates Court this week charged with one count of grievous bodily harm and was granted bail to live in Norman Gardens.

According to the court documents, Mr Fetoai is accused of assaulting the 48-year-old on East St in the early hours of June 8, knocking him unconscious after the back of Mr Willie’s head “making a loud crack sound and resulting in the victim bleeding from a head injury”.

The documents also stated Rockhampton Hospital doctors advised Mr Willie had a bleed on the brain and a fractured neck, at the very least, and he had been placed in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit as of the morning of the incident with the full extent of his injuries unknown.

According to the court documents, investigators had further been advised that the primary concern was hypoxia (a period during which this body had been subjected to insufficient amounts of oxygen).

A GoFundMe has since been started for the business owner and his wife Paula and at the time of publication had raised $5525.

The court documents also revealed what allegedly happened that night.

In the Objection to Bail affidavit, which was among the court documents, Senior Constable James Hutchison wrote Mr Willie was sitting with his wife on East St, between William and Denham Streets in Rockhampton CBD about 1.50am on June 8, talking with a busker friend when Mr Fetoai and another man walked towards them.

Police alleged in the document that as Mr Fetoai approached Mr Willie, he made an unknown comment and Mr Willie stood up.

“The defendant has approached the victim and stood face-to-face with him,” the document stated.

“The defendant has then pushed the victim in the chest and the victim has pushed the defendant back in the same manner. “The defendant has struck the victim in the chin with his closed left fist appearing to knock the victim unconscious on his feet, resulting in him falling over backwards and striking the back of his head on the concrete footpath, making a loud crack sound and resulting in the victim bleeding from a head injury.”

Police allege Mr Fetoai then took a cigarette from a witness who asked what the incident was over to which Mr Fetoai responded with words to the effect of “he was talking shit about women”.

The document stated Mr Willie’s wife, Paula, went to The Giddy Goat security for help and emergency services were contacted. It also stated Mr Fetoai remained in the area and was arrested and taken to the Rockhampton watch house.

Mr Fetoai was described in the document as a father-of-five who was born in New Zealand but lived in Australia for most of his life, worked in construction and often drank alcohol.

Senior Constable Hutchison wrote Mr Fetoai had a lengthy criminal history, predominantly comprising of alcohol-fuelled violence with convictions for common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm, public nuisance, wilful damage, creating a disturbance in a licensed venue, along with assaulting and obstructing police.

“Upon review of the defendant’s criminal history, it is evident that the defendant, when consuming liquor, is unpredictable and unable to control his temper and behaviour resulting in significant risk to those around him,” he wrote.

Mr Fetoai, who had 16 fail-to-appear warrants issued between 2006 and 2021, was granted bail to live in Norman Gardens, report to police twice a week and not consume any alcohol.

His grievous bodily harm charge will next be mentioned in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on July 17.

“Given the serious nature of the injuries sustained by the victim and his current condition, it remains a possibility that his condition may further deteriorate resulting in charges potentially having to be upgraded,” Senior Constable Hutchison wrote.

Originally published as Seriously injured Rockhampton dad, alleged attacker named