The horrifying moment Melbourne father Kane Dulieu is attacked outside a Melbourne pub

SHOCKING footage has been released that shows the moment a young father was coward punched to the ground.

CCTV footage shows the moment Kane Dulieu is coward-punched in a wild brawl outside a pub in Wantirna South.

THE moment a young father was senselessly knocked unconscious by a coward punch was captured by security cameras.

Kane Dulieu was celebrating his 24th birthday with friends in Melbourne’s east when he was king hit from behind.

The unprovoked blow left him unconscious with bleeding on the brain, reported The Herald Sun.

That didn’t deter his attackers — they continued to kick and punch him, with one of them even jumping on him to throw more punches.

A friend of Mr Dulieu’s tried desperately to stop the assault, but he too was felled by a single punch.

Images of the assault were obtained by The Herald Sun after the four attackers were sentenced on Monday.

Male Maele, 28, and his nephews Leti Maele, 20, and Apisai Maele, 20; and friend Andrew Apineru, 26 — were all jailed.

CCTV footage shows the moment Kane Dulieu is coward-punched in a wild brawl outside a pub in Wantirna South. Picture: Herald Sun

The horrific attack was captured on CCTV.

The attack happened early on November 18, 2016 after the attackers wrongly accused Mr Dulieu and his friends of damaging a parked car that belonged to someone they knew.

Each of the men pleaded guilty to one charge of recklessly causing serious injury.

Mr Apineru, who was behind the king hit on Mr Dulieu, was convicted and sentenced to three and a half years behind bars, but will be eligible for parole after serving just two years and three months.

Co-offender Maele Maele, who instigated the fight with a single punch to Mr Dulieu’s friend Justin Stephens, was jailed for four and a half years, with a non-parole period of two years and nine months.

Leti Maele and Apisai Maele were each sentenced to two years and nine months, with a non-parole period of 15 months.

They will all be deported to New Zealand after they are released.

Mr Dulieu’s family initially feared he would be brain damaged but he woke after three days in an induced coma with no lasting injuries.

“I am one of the lucky ones,” he told the Herald Sun.

“This could have ended so differently and my son would have had to grow up without a dad. That’s what makes me angry.”