Ben was coward punched by a pub bouncer. Two years on, the physical and mental scars remain

A Victorian tradie who was involved in a near-death experience outside a Geelong pub is calling for more oversight on violence used by venue security guards.

Two years ago, business owner Ben was thriving at work and at home; today he has to live with a traumatic brain injury.

Ben, who does not want his full identity revealed, was at the Grovedale Hotel one night in May 2024 when he was involved in a squabble with other patrons over a table.

At this point, he was approached by three bouncers.

Outside the pub, he says he was choked and punched in the head in a tense standoff, before head bouncer James Cahill allegedly hit him in the head with an elbow when he wasn’t looking.

Ben fell onto the ground and smashed his head onto the concrete, giving him multiple fractures.

He ended up having a bleed on the brain and had to be rushed to hospital, ending up at the trauma unit at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital; doctors said the injuries looked like they had been inflicted by a high-impact car accident.

Since then Ben’s life has not been the same.

“I've lost my livelihood… I've lost future work, I've lost everything. I've nearly lost my home. So, yeah, it's been pretty tough,” he told A Current Affair.

He wants to highlight the horrific impact coward punches can have on victims, but is also seeking legal action against the pub and the company that hired Cahill, Regional Security Services Australia.

The bouncer later pleaded guilty to negligence causing injury, and was given a corrections order to serve 42 days of unpaid community work.

“We're alleging that both of the entities that are involved in the proceeding didn't have the proper procedures, strategies or training in place to assist the security guards in de-escalating the situation,” Kayla Cox, Ben’s lawyer, told A Current Affair

Even if the legal action results in compensation, Ben fears he will never get back the life he used to have.

“I have no memory, most of the time I can't remember a lot of things,” he admitted, saying that he had also lost his business, and had compromised his sense of smell, sight and taste.

“I can't sleep properly, I don't sleep too much.”