Two men have been convicted over their roles in a drunken fight turned strip-show outside a Wollongong pub.
CCTV footage (below) shows the events of a Wednesday night outside the Grand Hotel, on 24 May last year, beginning with a group being denied entry by security for intoxication.
Some of those unable to gain entry began a scuffle, with Ethan Stuart-Hoare squaring up to two other men, Brent Durney and Thomas Jurkiewicz. The intoxicated Stuart-Hoare falls, but gets up and motions to the men to come at him again, to which Durney executes a kick to the head that knocks him out cold.
27-year-old Austin Sullivan was waiting in the queue to enter, but seeing he fracas left the line and headed toward the other men, pulling off his jumper.
Security keeps the two parties separated long enough for Durney to flee, but a now shirtless Sullivan turns his attention to Jerkiewicz and his brother, heading away toward MacCabe Park.
Getting around the guard, Sullivan strides after the men, reportedly yelling “you killed my mate … you f—king dogs”, stopping in the middle of the road to shed his shorts and shoes. A friend followed behind him.
The four men argued for some time in the Park, before the friend grabbed Jerkiewicz in a headlock, allowing Sullivan to punch him several times in the head, fracturing his jaw.
All four then run back to outside the Hotel, where Stuart-Hoare is still unconscious, arguing and jostling, with Sullivan in just his jocks and socks.
Emergency services arrived and took both Stuart-Hoare and Jerkiewicz to hospital. The former sustained no serious injuries and made a full recovery, while the latter had to undergo surgery on his jaw.
Durney – the original assailant – was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Stewart-Hoare, to which he plead guilty and received a 12-month suspended prison sentence.
Sullivan was charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and appeared in Wollongong Local Court last Friday. He also pleaded guilty, but was sentenced to 18 months’ prison, with non-parole period of nine months.