Darwin nightclub bouncer Hayden Summers guilty of striking US Marine

A jury has returned its verdict after a five-day trial of a Darwin bouncer charged with striking a US Marine outside a popular nightclub.

A supreme court jury has returned its verdict in the trial of a Darwin CBD bouncer charged with striking a US Marine outside a nightclub last year.

Hayden Robert Bruce Summers was charged with unlawfully causing serious harm after knocking out a Marine outside of popular Darwin CBD nightclub Monsoons.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday.

A jury on Friday found him guilty.

The bouncer was engaged in an argument with US Marine Glen Thomason, who had been thrown out of the club in the early hours of April 11, 2021.

CCTV footage played in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Mr Thomason is seen allegedly yelling, “I’m a trained killer, I will kill you” at Summers.

As the situation escalated Mr Thomason is seen to swipe his arm towards Summers, but does not make contact.

The security guard retaliates striking the marine across the face knocking him to the ground with a single blow.

Summers had claimed the strike was in self-defence.

Crown prosecutor Ian Rowbottom however called the slap unjustified and excessive.

“The blow that struck Mr Thomason was unlawful in that it wasn’t authorised and it wasn’t justified,” Mr Rowbottom sad.

“One punch can kill. That was a risk and that man was prepared to take that risk.

“It could have killed Thomason, but it didn’t, thankfully, because of medical intervention.

“He did not deserve that to happen to him, he did not deserve force to be applied, he may have deserved a push, but he did not deserve a blow like that which knocked him out cold.”

The case will return to the Supreme Court on September 8 for submissions ahead of sentencing.

Originally published as Darwin nightclub bouncer Hayden Summers guilty of striking US Marine