Date: 2nd October 2008
Source: The Morning Bulletin - Australia
Bouncer blows whistle on club brawl
Nightclub bouncer Troy Humphries says so many men and women were involved in fighting outside The Coast on Sunday morning it was impossible to count them.
It was the worst night of violence he's seen in eight years as a crowd controller in Yeppoon, he said yesterday as new information came to light.
He praised police for their efforts but said he was surprised that so far only one man had been charged.
Scuffling erupted on the nightclub dance floor and about 20 people got involved. One girl was hit in the face with a bottle by another girl on the smoking balcony and had to be taken to hospital he said.
"We stopped the music and turned on the lights to calm it down," said Troy who was one of three bouncers on duty at the popular club.
"But when it moved outside it was just mayhem. There were people running through the car park in the pitch black with sticks and bottles just hitting out. Someone got knocked unconscious right next to me and it was so dark I didn't even see it."
Troy said the trouble appeared to be between two groups of local people.
"What surprised me was how many people, men and women, were prepared to get involved. When I first started in this job it was pretty easy to break up fights because they were usually one on one.
"Now when something kicks off everybody wades in and there's not much we can do."
He said the security footage of the fighting in the club, which had been handed to police, showed the intensity of the battle.
"It was amazing. You can see one man being attacked by five others and a bouncer leaping across to try to stop it. It was full-on."
He wanted people from both groups to know they were not welcome back.
"We had 200 people in there having a good time and the night was just ruined," he said.
Troy said although he was an eyewitness to everything, neither he, the club manager or the other bouncers had so far been interviewed by police.
Detective Sergeant Mick Ward, officer in charge at Yeppoon CIB, said investigations were continuing and there was a possibility of further arrests and charges.
"There's a lot of information we are going through. We are aware that someone was reportedly struck in the face with an implement. Inquiries are under way into that incident and we are calling for witnesses to come forward either directly to Yeppoon Police or through Crime Stoppers," he said.
Detective Sergeant Ward described the violence as an extraordinary event.
"It wasn't typical of a night out in Yeppoon and we don't want to see a repeat of that level of violence ever again.
"People need to take responsibility for their behaviour."
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