Liam Knight faces alleged attackers in Sydney court

The Sydney teenager who was left fighting for his life with a steel bar stuck his skull has faced his alleged attackers in court today.

With aid of a cane, Liam Knight, 18, entered Sydney's Downing Centre District at the beginning of the trial for Jimmy Anthony Tupou, 19, and another youth who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Prosecutor Huw Baker alleged in the opening of the judge-only trial that on January 11 last year, Mr Tupou and the youth attempted to gatecrash an 18th birthday party in Forrestville in Sydney's north where Mr Knight was an invited guest.

Mr Baker told the court Tupou and his co-accused became aggressive when they were denied entry and later assaulted the father of the boy whose party it was.

The youth then allegedly attacked and punched another teenage guest in the face before he and Tupou began throwing building materials at the party, injuring several party guests.

One missile — a large steel bar — struck and pierced Mr Knight's skull, penetrating so deeply it had to be cut off before Mr Knight could be transferred to hospital where it was removed.

Tupou and his co-accused pleaded not guilty to the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Knight.

The youth pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of recklessly causing bodily harm, but the Crown rejected this charge.

The Crown accepted his guilty plea to five other charges relating to damages on the night in question including two counts of assault, one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, reckless wounding causing actual bodily harm and unlawful violence.

Tupou pleaded not guilty to three charges against him including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, reckless wounding causing actual bodily harm and reckless wounding causing actual bodily harm.

The trial continues.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Author: Nicholas McCallum, Approving editor: Nick Pearson