Update – Tuesday, April 12
Evander Tuala has died in hospital following a brawl on Sydney’s Oxford Street in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Per Nine News, the 23-year-old passed away at St Vincent’s Hospital in the city on Monday evening at around 7.30pm. He was in a critical condition and on life support after allegedly being punched. Nine News reported his head hit the pavement on the popular Darlinghurst strip.
Three men have reportedly been charged in relation to the fight that broke out but charges are yet to be laid for Tuala’s assault.
Police have established a taskforce to figure out what happened at the weekend. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Surry Hills police.
More to come.
Sunday, April 10
A 23-year-old man is in critical condition after he was caught in a brawl outside a venue on Sydney’s Oxford St on Saturday night.
NSW Police said in a statement that emergency services were called to the venue after reports of a brawl began outside the bar at 12:35am.
23-year-old Evander Tuala had come into the city from Western Sydney for a night out with his friends. NSW Police Detective Superintendent John Duncan said his group and a group from the Eastern Suburbs clashed when men from the two groups were escorted out of the Oxford Hotel because of a “very minor incident”.
It’s unclear how many were exactly involved but a clip shared via the Daily Telegraph showed at least six men swapping punches outside the venue on Oxford St.
Tuala was allegedly punched which caused him to fall to the floor and hit his head on Oxford St. He was then treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene before he was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital nearby. NSW Police said he is in a critical condition with significant head injuries.
Tuala’s friends and family gathered outside the hospital on Sunday. His aunt Niu Tuala shared a heartbreaking message about him after he was hospitalised on Saturday night.
“You came into this world and brought so much love into our family,” Tuala said via 10News First Sydney.
“Now you’ve left us broken. You were stolen from us like a thief in the night.”
The state’s police force is treating the incident as a potential homicide.
Officers attempted to arrest the men involved in the fight but several of them fled the scene.
Three men were charged with affray. Two of them — a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old — were refused bail and appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday. Another 20-year-old man was granted conditional bail and will appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 5th.
NSW Police is currently investigating the incident and looking to find out who was responsible for hitting Tuala. It urged anyone with information or footage to contact Surry Hills Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
