5.30pm: The one-punch attack was one of two separate altercations that saw two Wagga men hospitalised over the long weekend.
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A 26-year-old Wagga man is fighting for his life in a Sydney hospital.
Full story here: http://bit.ly/1Ue11lv
12pm: A WAGGA man lay unconscious for several minutes after a brutal one-punch attack, which then triggered a sprawling brawl at the Gurwood Street taxi rank.
Graphic CCTV footage reveals a young man punching another in the back of the head at the Gurwood Street taxi rank about 12.20am on Anzac Day.
Acting Inspector Roy Elmes said the alcohol-fuelled incident started when a 22-year-old Wagga man was providing “verbal assistance” to a group of people after a disagreement over a taxi.
“Another man has approached the man and punched him once to the back of the head,” Inspector Elmes said.
“He’s fallen to ground, where he remained for some time, about two to three minutes.
“The offender immediately after after punching runs away from the immediate scene.
“It can only be described as a coward’s punch in our view.”
But trouble continued to unfold, while the victim laid unconscious on the ground.
“There was another melee that occurred, which went for 10 minutes,” Inspector Elmes said.
“Up to 10 or 15 people were involved in the subsequent melee.
“Of concern, it was probably about 10 minutes until someone actually contacted police.
“Once police were called we were on scene within a minute. By the time we arrived, the victim had been put into a taxi by his friends and taken away from the scene.”
The incident was reported by a taxi driver.
The 22-year-old was taken to Wagga Rural Referral Hospital with a lost tooth and a suspected broken nose.
He was released from hospital about 8am Monday morning, before attending Wagga police station to report the assault.
It is unknown whether the people involved in the incident were known to one another.
Police are searching for any information on the offender. He is described as aged between 18 and 25, of thin build and average height, with blonde hair.
At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black long-sleeved top with white writing and blue jeans.
Inspector Elmes condemned the attack and warned that under new coward punch laws introduced in January 2014, the maximum penalty if it occasions death and performed under the influence of alcohol is 25 years’ imprisonment.
“The community looks at it like it looks at murder,” he said.
“We certainly don’t want anything like this to happen here (in Wagga).
“Fortunately I think we’ve escaped a bullet quite a number of times. Hopefully we don’t ever have to face that here.”
The incident was one of two violent altercations that saw locals hospitalised.
More to come.