Backpacker allegedly punched by brother regains consciousness

An Antrim man who had been in a coma in Australia after he was allegedly punched by his brother has regained consciousness and is now in a stable condition.

Thirty-one-year-old Patrick Lyttle has been in the intensive care unit at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney since the incident in the early hours of Saturday morning.

His brother 33-year-old Barry Lyttle was charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm last week.

A steady stream of Patrick's friends have been visiting him in hospital, after he underwent delicate surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

His brother Barry and their 74-year-old father Oliver had arrived in Australia on December 29 to visit backpacker Patrick.

Friends said the brothers are extremely close. Their father Oliover confirmed that, saying: "They have loved each other from when they were kids."

Superintendent Michael Fitzgerald said alcohol was not an aggravating factor and it was a "family tragedy that has happened to occur on our streets".

The brothers had exchanged messages on Facebook for months before the incident. In two of them, Barry had told Patrick to “stay safe”.

Patrick Lyttle will be kept in the intensive care unit of St Vincent's Hospital for the next number of days.