Man charged over Australia attack

A New Zealand man was charged in a Sydney court today over an August 2008 attack that left Irishman David Keohane with brain …

A New Zealand man was charged in a Sydney court today over an August 2008 attack that left Irishman David Keohane with brain damage.

Kane Tupuolamoui (21) was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to murder. The charges were laid within hours of his arrival in Sydney on an overnight flight following his extradition from Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Mr Tupuolamoui was arrested in Darwin in the early hours of Wednesday morning following a tip off from the public.

After being questioned by police from the Eastern Beaches local area command, he was held in a cell beneath the court. However, Mr Tupuolamoui did not appear before the magistrate as he was not applying for bail.

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Mr Keohane (29), who was backpacking in the country, was discovered lying on the street in the Sydney suburb of Coogee about 3am on Saturday August 9th, 2008.

He had suffered very serious head injuries and was treated in a nearby hospital before being repatriated to Cork while in a coma in September 2008. Mr Keohane emerged from the coma on St Patrick’s Day 2009.

Pádraig Collins

Pádraig Collins

Pádraig Collins a contributor to The Irish Times based in Sydney