SYDNEY - A New Zealand prison guard in Australia's Northern Territory has been ordered to stand trial over the nightclub glassing of a soldier, who lost his eye.
Te Tuhi Puru Westrupp, 43, was committed to stand trial in February after a two-day committal hearing in the Darwin
Magistrates Court.
Andrew Blain needed more than 140 stitches following the early morning incident at central Darwin nightclub The Lost Arc on June 22.
The 28-year-old was celebrating with friends from the defence force because he was about to leave the city for a 10-week course to become a sergeant.
But both his night and career were cut short when the army aircraft technician had a glass rammed into his face, fracturing his eye socket and nose, and destroying his eye.
Mr Westrupp, also a prominent club rugby coach in the Northern Territory, was charged with unlawfully causing serious harm over the incident.
Magistrate Dick Wallace today committed him to stand trial after hearing evidence from 12 witnesses.
"The evidence is, in my view, sufficient to place Mr Westrupp on trial," the magistrate said.
It was alleged Mr Westrupp, who was stood down from his employment as a prison guard following the incident, glassed Mr Blain after he bumped into him on the way to the dance floor.
Mr Blain told the court of his injuries after the glass connected with his face.
"It cut up through the eye, I lost my eye - the contents of my eye - it cut across the top of my face, fractured my eye socket, fractured my nose and down to within about 2mm of my right eye," he said.
"I grabbed my face and walked towards the front door where the bouncers were... blood was pouring out onto the ground."
Doctors couldn't save the eye, leaving Mr Blain needing a new fake eye every three years.
Mr Blain said his career with the army had "come to a standstill".
"I won't be able to continue that because I only have one eye now so they won't be able to deploy me," he told the court.
Mr Blain denied he provoked Mr Westrupp, or even spoke to him prior to the attack.
But witness Chris Rutene, a construction worker who grew up with Mr Westrupp in New Zealand, told the court the two men had a "heated" discussion.
Mr Rutene said his friend punched the victim after he lunged at him.
First Class Officer Duncan Reid was drinking with Mr Westrupp and "the rugby crowd" at a stag party earlier that night.
He also knew the victim, who had been under his jurisdiction in the army.
"It was jovial, there was no aggro or anything else shown by anyone," he said.
Another witness, William Rosas, who was not associated with either of the men, told the court he was close enough to the attack to be showered in glass, drink and blood.
"What really got to me was the twisting motion," he said.
"It's bad enough hitting someone with a glass but you don't twist your hand, that's savage."
The matter will go before the Northern Territory Supreme Court on February 4.
- NZPA, AAP
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