Barry Lyttle held his head in his hands and broke down as Sydney's Downing Centre local court was told about his brother Patrick's ongoing medical issues today.
Mr Lyttle (33) is charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to Patrick in an incident in the Kings Cross entertainment district of the Australian city in the early hours of January 3rd.
Patrick Lyttle (31) fell and hit his head after allegedly being punched by his brother on January 3rd. He was taken to the nearby St Vincent's Hospital and after surgery was in a coma for six days before regaining consciousness.
On February 5th he walked out of St Vincent’s Hospital with his girlfriend Maria McCaffrey, his brother, his sister Karen McHugh and their father Oliver (74).
Patrick Lyttle is currently in a rehabilitation facility in the northern Sydney suburb of Ryde.
"He is doing well," David Faktor, public affairs manager at St Vincent's Hospital, told The Irish Times. "You don't just get better and go home. Especially with injuries to the brain there is a lot of rehabilitation involved," Mr Faktor said. Mr Lyttle is expected to spend at least a month at Royal Rehab in Ryde.
After Tuesday’s court appearance, Barry Lyttle spoke briefly to reporters about his brother’s condition. “It’s a huge relief, he’s doing exceptionally well,” he said.
An assessment of how severe Patrick Lyttle’s injuries are will be a key factor in determining how the case will proceed and if it will be heard in the district court, where higher penalties could apply. The medical report is expected by the end of next week.
In a court appearance last month, Barry Lyttle’s bail conditions were altered to allow him to move closer to his brother, rather than having to stay at an aunt’s home almost 40km away in western Sydney.
His bail conditions have now been further changed so he only needs to report to police three times a week, rather than daily. He has also surrendered his passport, posted a AU$2,000 (€1,371) surety and is not allowed to approach Patrick within 12 hours of consuming alcohol.
Patrick Lyttle had been backpacking around Australia since last June and had met his brother and their father in Sydney three days before the incident.
The matter will return to court on March 5th.
