Bouncers at Cube Hotel admit to assault
TWO hotel bouncers have admitted assaulting a patron outside a Toowoomba nightclub that left the victim injured and suffering a seizure on the footpath.
Dean Michael Heit, 23, and Saudi Arabian national Baber Abdulwahab Khan, 35, had been working as crowd controllers at the Cube Hotel on November 19, 2011.
The complainant man, 35, had walked outside the hotel to have a cigarette about 4am but was not permitted to re-enter due to the lock-out provisions, Toowoomba District Court heard.
The two bouncers, who had been quelling a disturbance in Margaret St nearby, returned to find the patron arguing with the hotel manageress.
Heit then pushed the man backwards, prompting him to throw out an arm at the bouncer, which missed.
On CitySafe camera footage played to the court, Khan is seen to grab the man around the neck from behind, and a struggle ensued.
The complainant momentarily broke free, but the two bouncers again took hold of him with Heit throwing about four punches at the man's face, two of which connected, Judge Debra Richards found.
Unknown to the bouncers, the man suffered epilepsy and slumped to the footpath in seizure.
Crown prosecutor Kathleen Millican said the man sustained a dislocated finger, had a tooth knocked out and suffered bruising to his rib area.
Khan, who had no previous criminal history, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm while Heit, who had only a minor history, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm while in company.
Both defendants admitted having used excessive force in the incident.
Judge Richards ordered Khan do 240 hours community service with no conviction recorded.
Heit was convicted and sentenced to six months jail, the whole term suspended for 12 months.
