A 32-year-old Irish man has undergone emergency surgery in Sydney after being critically injured by his brother at around 3am local time (4pm Friday, Irish time).
The man, who has not been named, was punched once by his brother in the Kings Cross entertainment region of the city shortly after a last-drinks curfew. The man sustained a serious head injury when he fell to the pavement after being struck.
Police say the brothers are in Australia on holiday with their father.
The injured man was taken to the nearby St Vincent’s Hospital where he is in a critical condition. His brother was arrested and taken to Kings Cross police station.
A year ago, following the deaths of two young men caused by “one-punch” assaults, the New South Wales government introduced “lock out” laws in parts of central Sydney with a heavy concentration of bars and nightclubs.
Kings Cross is infamous for being an entertainment hub, and is also home to Sydney’s red-light district.
The lock-out laws were relaxed on New Year’s Eve but have continued as normal since then.
