Sydney bouncer assault: Man guilty of causing brain injury to bouncer in one-punch attack

James Ian Longworth has been found guilty of causing a traumatic brain injury to security guard Fadi "Fred" Taiba in a one-punch attack.

Longworth is guilty of “causing grievous bodily harm” to 44-year-old Taiba who had to have some parts of his skull removed due to the injury. Taiba was punched at Bar 333 on George Street on Sept. 6, 2013.

Taiba hugged his wife after the verdict was handed down. CCTV footage revealed Longworth moving towards Taiba and punching the side of the bouncer’s head, AAP reports. According to security guard George Linardos, he has never seen anything like that before and was scared as he heard “a loud slapping noise.”

According to 34-year-old Longworth, his father’s death earlier in 2015 had a lot to do with that night’s incident. He said he was so “overwhelmed” with sadness over his father’s demise that he “just lashed out” at Taiba after the bouncer had denied his entry to the bar.

Longworth went to have a couple of beers with his friends but ended up having 10 schooners, the court heard. Taiba stopped him at the bar as, according to him, Longworth was “stumbling all over the place.” Longworth believed there was "laughing tone to his voice" when Taiba was denied entry.

“Any other night I would probably have just laughed and walked away," 9News quoted Longworth as saying. "I knew my night was over and the sadness came back." Longworth punched the bouncer and ran away as he thought Taiba would punch him back.

Longworth earlier explained at Sydney's District Court how he never had the chance to say goodbye to his father. He said he could not tell him that he loved him. Just before the assault took place, he was informed that the crematorium had lost his father’s ashes.

"I was heartbroken. The thought of never being able to visit him again and him just being lost,” Longworth said.

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