A third teenager has been charged over an alleged one-punch attack on the Gold Coast that has left a 21-year-old man in hospital.
Thomas Dover was walking on Ferny Avenue at Surfers Paradise with a friend around 2am on Wednesday when he was confronted by a group of youths.
Police allege there was an argument that led to some of the teens assaulting the man, who was punched in the back of the head, causing him to fall and hit his head on the footpath.\
He has been in an induced coma in hospital since the attack.
Police today charged a 15-year-old boy from Loganlea with grievous bodily harm over the attack.
A 16-year-old Ipswich boy has already been charged with grievous bodily harm over the alleged attack, and he and a 14-year-old Ipswich boy have both been charged with common assault and public nuisance.
The 14-year-old and 16-year-old boys allegedly continued to follow Mr Dover and his friend and physically assaulted them.
Thom Dover’s family rushed to his bedside at the Gold Coast University Hospital and are praying that he will wake up.
“I didn’t know really what to expect, and then walking in and seeing that, that’s a slap in your face,” his sister Jacqui told 9NEWS.
“There’s no excuse to try and do this to someone else. There’s no reason that a 15-year-old (sic) should be out at 2am…” Mr Dover’s sister Candice told 9NEWS.
Mr Dover’s friend has told police they were confronted by a group of teens earlier in the night.
“I got a call earlier in the night to say that they were trying to run away from the bunch of 15- to 17-year-olds that were chasing them,” Candice said.
Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman Drew Hebbron said Mr Dover suffered an “enclosed head injury”, which is serious and life-threatening.
The alleged attack happened exactly a year after the fatal one-punch attack on young water polo player Cole Miller in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley nightclub precinct.
Mr Miller’s death sparked new laws and awareness campaigns to curb violence.
Mr Dover’s sisters have echoed the calls for calm.
“Take a breath, walk away – it’s pretty simple. Put yourself in Thom’s shoes,” they told NBN NEWS.
