DETECTIVES IN Australia investigating a vicious unprovoked assault in Sydney on a young Cork man who ended up in a coma for more than six months have confirmed plans to send officers to Ireland to interview the victim, who recently regained consciousness.
David Keohane from Ballyvolane, Cork, woke from a coma on St Patrick’s day at Cork University Hospital seven months after he was assaulted and left for dead on the side of the road in Sydney.
However, his recovery is expected to take some time and detectives will have to wait until doctors give them the all-clear to conduct the interview.
Detectives from New South Wales police plan to travel to Cork in the coming months in the hope that David will be able to recall aspects of the attack on August 2nd of last year.
Meanwhile, investigators are again appealing for public help to locate a New Zealand national they believe might be able to assist their inquiries.
Police in Australia say they are keen to speak to 19-year-old Kane Desmond Tupuolamoui in relation to their investigation.
Three men have been charged so far in relation to the assault, which caused outrage in Sydney.
Thomas Isaako (19) was charged with the attempted murder of Mr Keohane on October 1st.
A 19-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man have both been charged with hindering police and concealing a serious offence.
NSW police say the fourth suspect in the case is “the last piece of the jigsaw”.
“We are still looking for the fourth suspect so if David can give us any information we will certainly act on it.”
Mr Keohane was found unconscious on a street in Coogee, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, at about 3am on Saturday August 2nd.
He was treated for massive head injuries and had not regained consciousness when he was taken back to Ireland by his family on September 15th. The brutality of the incident shocked Australians and led to a major fundraising effort for Mr Keohane.
He had been so severely injured that it took two days to identify him following the attack. Police at first thought he had been slashed with a knife. He has since had facial reconstruction surgery.