Man’s jaw ‘snapped in half’ in crowbar attack

A tavern owner has been left with serious facial injuries after being set upon by a crowbar-wielding assailant.

Toowoomba man Terry Byatt, 64, was sleeping in his home on the other side of the Brightview Tavern when he was awoken by the building’s alarm just after 3am today.

Upon arrival, Mr Byatt discovered a shirtless man trying to break into the tavern’s ATM machine.

The man attacked the tavern owner, hitting him repeatedly with a crowbar before fleeing the scene in a stolen car.

The car was later found dumped and burnt nearby.

Police allege the attacker subsequently broke into a home, stealing the keys to a car and taking off.

They have identified the second stolen car as a silver hatchback Suzuki Swift with the licence plate 659KDS.

Mr Byatt was left with a shattered jaw, a fractured eye socket, fractured cheek and several teeth missing.

Mr Byatt’s son Adam said his father now required a number of surgeries, and is expected to spend Christmas day in hospital recovering.

Adam has condemned Mr Byatt’s attacker for their brutality.

“This is one of those you didn't need to bash him situations, but you did anyway,” he said.