Two charged in brutal attack on Irishman in Australia

POLICE investigating the savage beating of a young Irishman in Australia have arrested two men and said they were on the trail of a third suspect.

John Counihan, 23, from Castlecor, between Mallow and Kanturk, Co Cork, almost died from serious head injuries when he was punched and kicked after a minor disagreement in a pub at Bondi Beach in Sydney six months ago.

Mr Counihan has twice had surgery on his skull and is still under the care of Australian doctors.

One of two men who appeared in a Sydney district court in connection with the incident yesterday is a 23-year-old New Zealander, Courtney Howell, who was arrested earlier in the day outside his house at Lalor Park in the city. Mr Howell, who is accused of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm, was denied bail and remanded in custody to return to court tomorrow.

The second man, Joseph Tobenhouse, 26, who was arrested the same day at a building site at Kings Cross in the city, is not accused of involvement in the fight but is charged with helping the accused to escape detection.

He was given bail and ordered to appear in court again next month. A third man fled Australia after the attack and police are working with their counterparts in New Zealand to locate and extradite him.

Details of the attack were disclosed to the court for the first time yesterday. According to police files, the row began in the Royal Hotel in Bondi on September 22 last after Mr Howell was accidentally bumped by Graham Foley, a friend of Mr Counihan. He was with Mr Counihan and their girlfriends in the bar.

Mr Howell replied by deliberately nudging Mr Foley while he was playing pool and Mr Tobenhouse and the third man began blowing kisses to the group. Words were exchanged and when pushing and shoving began, security guards put the two Irishmen out of the hotel.

It is alleged that Mr Foley’s girlfriend then slapped Mr Howell, who retaliated by pushing her. Mr Counihan, who was watching from outside the pub, told the men to come out on to the street where Mr Howell knocked Mr Foley to the ground.

A security guard intervened but Mr Howell broke free and attacked Mr Counihan, punching him in the head and then stamping on his head before fleeing.

Police files said Mr Howell was an early suspect after his mobile phone was found at the scene, but he initially had an alibi.

Mr Counihan, known as JP, spent several weeks critically ill in a medically-induced coma in hospital in Sydney where he underwent emergency surgery to remove part of his skull to give his brain room to swell.

He has since had further surgery to rebuild his skull and was released from hospital late last year. He remains under the care of Australian doctors and will need long-term rehabilitation.

One of a family of six, he was five months into his stay in Australia after taking a year out from his job as a welder at Liscarroll Milk Tanks when the attack took place. Two of his siblings, Patricia and Mary, flew to Sydney to be by his bedside and made a public appeal for information about their brother’s attackers.

The Irish community in Australia rallied around to help the family and a fundraising website was set up, www.jpfund.net.