18yo boy bashed by mix martial artist critical, page-11

Daniel Christie attack: Alcohol crackdown would not have stopped NYE king hit, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says
Updated 49 minutes
Reduced pub trading hours in Sydney's Kings Cross would not have prevented an attack that has left an 18-year-old man critically injured, New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell says.

Builder Shaun McNeil, 25, has been charged over a king hit to Daniel Christie while the teenager was out celebrating New Year's Eve with his older brother.

Mr Christie was attacked close to where Thomas Kelly was fatally punched in 2012, and the latest incident has again raised questions about the State Government's response to alcohol-fuelled violence.

Acting Opposition Leader Linda Burney says the Government must follow the example set in Newcastle, where no shots are served after 10pm, no patrons are allowed into a venue after 1am and no alcohol can be sold after 3am.

"I'm of a very strong view that we have to at least trial this policy to see whether or not the same outcomes that Newcastle experienced, and that was less violence, can be achieved in Sydney," Ms Burney said.

"I mean, I saw my two adult children off on New Year's Eve worrying whether they'd be beaten up, and that shouldn't be the case."

Mr O'Farrell told 702 ABC Sydney the Government is continuing its crackdown on problem venues and trialling an identification scanning system, but there is no "one-size-fits-all solution".

Alcohol-fuelled violence


Following a December weekend of alcohol-fuelled violence across NSW, Premier Barry O'Farrell said the community needed to change its attitude towards booze.
"We need to crack down on the problem precincts. That's what we're doing. The figures show that we're making progress," Mr O'Farrell said.

"We've seen a reduction of one-third in the amount of assaults up at Kings Cross.

"Now, that's of no comfort to the Christie family this morning, but equally the slogan put forward by my opponents of 1am lockouts, of 3am shutouts, is of no comfort to someone who was assaulted just after 9pm when that would have had no impact.

"Slogans don't work here. What works is good old-fashioned policing, what works is good old-fashioned enforcement of liquor regulations.

"What works is working with the industry to make sure they're more responsible, and what has to work is working with communities.

"But it's going to take some time, and that's where the criticisms arise."

A study by Professor Kypros Kypri from the University of Newcastle found a 37 per cent fall in alcohol-related violence when the restrictions were introduced there.

"A number of people have been injured or killed, sadly, in the years that the Government has failed to enact earlier closing in the order of 2:00am or 3:00 am," he said.

"It doesn't need to necessarily to be closing the premises, but ceasing the service of alcohol at some prescribed time."

Australia a 'world leader' in alcohol abuse

The medical fraternity is keen to highlight that alcohol-related violence is a problem that is not restricted to events such as New Year's Eve or nightclub precincts such as Kings Cross.

The chairwoman of the public health committee of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Diana Egerton-Warburton, says it is a massive drain on medical resources.

"What we see in the media is the tip of the iceberg. It's a 24-7, every day of the week problem," Dr Egerton-Warburton said.

We are one of the world leaders in alcohol abuse, so we need to look at it and say it's not acceptable.
Diana Egerton-Warburton, from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
"We did a snapshot survey... and showed that across Australia, on average, one in seven patients are there [in an emergency department] related to alcohol."

"There were numerous departments in every state and territory where it was one in three. It's more like working in a pub.

"Serious assaults and injury against staff is commonplace in the emergency department."

She says a reduction in alcohol abuse similar to the decline in smoking is achievable.

"It's not something that's going to be easily solved. It took us two decades to get a national rate of tobacco smoking that really is the envy of the world and I think it will take us that long to address this problem," Dr Egerton-Warburton said.

"We are one of the world leaders in alcohol abuse, so we need to look at it and say it's not acceptable," she said.

"We just want people to drink in a responsible way: think before they drink, drink in moderation, think about how they're going to get home, get home safely."

Victim's alleged attacker to return to court next week

McNeil was arrested soon after Mr Christie was punched and then charged over attacks on the 18-year-old and four other people on New Year's Eve.

The 25-year-old faced court yesterday afternoon and was refused bail over the charges, which included maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The registrar told the court bail would be inappropriate given the community's response to other similar acts of violence.

The case against McNeil is due to return to court next week.

Police say he attacked two other men who tried to hide behind Mr Christie and his older brother Peter.

Investigators say McNeil told the brothers he was an "MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter" before laying a single punch to Daniel Christie's face, knocking him unconscious.

McNeil then allegedly turned his attention to Peter Christie, punching him in the face.

Topics: alcohol, assault, states-and-territories, kings-cross-2011


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-02/alcohol-crackdown-wouldnt-have-stopped-nye-attack/5182088