Gold Coast pub assault victim in coma as accused refused bail
Police allege Haami Makiroa Burns Prescott approached Ross Burckhardt in the car park of the Coomera Boathouse Tavern on Sunday and punched him in the face.
Haami Makiroa Burns Prescott, 27, has been denied bail after being charged with allegedly assaulting 36-year-old Ross Burckhardt at a Gold Coast pub, leaving him in a critical condition. Prescott approached Burckhardt in the car park of the Coomera Boathouse Tavern early Sunday morning and punched him in the face, causing serious head injuries.
Burckhardt remains in an induced coma at Gold Coast University Hospital. Prescott allegedly fled the scene in a rideshare vehicle and was arrested on Monday. He appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday for a bail application, where his solicitor argued that Prescott was acting in self-defense. However, the court heard CCTV footage and witness statements against bail, and Prescott's criminal history in New South Wales, subject to a community corrections order.
The court found Prescott to be an unacceptable risk of reoffending and remanded him in custody. Burckhardt's brother described him as a compassionate disability support worker dedicated to helping others, and they are devastated by the incident, expressing gratitude for his stable condition but acknowledging a long road ahead for his recovery.
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