Nightclub Brawl Left Chair Stuck In Skull
The former Xavier College student, now 20, said yesterday his sight remained very blurry, his body was weak and his neck was stiff after the incident.
“I feel all right at the moment, actually, but I am too weak for work,” he said in a raspy voice, a consequence of the chair leg passing through his throat.
But he holds no grudges against Liam Peart, who pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge of negligently causing him serious injury on January 21.
“I forgive him, totally,” Mr el-Fahkri said, a sentiment confirmed by Peart’s barrister Duncan Allen in Melbourne Magistrate’s Court.
Police prosecutor Sen. Const. Brooke Sheers told the court Mr el-Fahkri declined to make a victim impact statement because he “bears no malice towards the defendant in relation to this incident”.
She said Mr el-Fahkri was injured after an unrelated brawl erupted outside the Metro nightclub in Bourke Street at 2.45am.
About 45 minutes later, with isolated assault incidents continuing, Peart picked up a metal-framed, rattan-backed cafe-style chair as he ran towards the nightclub.
Sen. Const. Sheers said Peart raised the chair above his head and threw it at Mr el-Fahkri, who tried to protect himself by raising his hands. But a leg of the chair penetrated his left eye socket, pushed his eyeball to the side and continued into his neck.
With police agreement, the charge was amended from recklessly to negligently causing serious injury, and four other charges were struck out.
Mr Allen described Peart, who acted spontaneously after an assault on his younger brother by another person, was by nature responsible, considerate and insightful.
He had apologised to Mr el-Fahkri and was ashamed by his offence. Peart is yet to be sentenced.
MELBOURNE