Man on trial after pub patron’s death from single punch

Laine Clark | June 5, 2023

Returning home from a late shift, a woman didn’t immediately recognise what was on the road before swerving her car away from the object, a court has heard.

Then she realised it was a man.

Darren Young was bleeding from the nose and mouth “growling like a dog in pain” according to the woman, a Brisbane Supreme Court jury was told on Monday.

She reassured Mr Young, staying with him until emergency services arrived.

Mr Young died three days later from head injuries suffered from a fall after a single punch by Bradley Peter Cooper on the Sunshine Coast just days before Christmas 2020, the court was told.

A heavily intoxicated Mr Young had earlier been asked to leave a Maroochydore hotel a couple of times, at one stage getting into a physical altercation with staff, crown prosecutor David Nardone said.

Fellow pub patron Cooper did not know Mr Young but took it upon himself to get involved by encouraging the “drunk pest” to leave, he said.

Cooper ultimately led him away from the pub after 1am, the jury was told.

“Something then appears to develop between them and they move from the footpath and on to the roadway,” Mr Nardone said.

Cooper punched Mr Young in the head, causing him to fall down on the road, he said.

Cooper immediately ran away with Mr Young appearing to be motionless before he is discovered by the woman, Mr Nardone said.

Cooper told police that he reacted the way he did because he “feared for his safety”, the jury was told.

In a police interview Cooper said after leading him away from the hotel Mr Young became aggressive and wanted to fight, the jury was told.

Cooper told police that he was punched from behind so pushed Mr Young to the ground.

Cooper told officers Mr Young then started swinging again so he jabbed him in the jaw in self-defence, sending him “onto his arse”, Mr Nardone said.

He believed the punch “wasn’t even that hard” and told police when he left Mr Young was yelling abuse and threatening him, and did not look like he needed help, the jury was told.

An autopsy determined Mr Young suffered skull fractures and brain injuries from the fall to the ground after the punch, resulting in his death.

Mr Young’s blood alcohol level would have been between 0.241 to 0.310 per cent – up to six times over the legal driving limit – at the time.

Mr Nardone said it was up to the jury to decide whether Cooper acted in self-defence.

Defence barrister Jacob Robson said in a “dynamic situation that escalated quickly” Mr Young turned on Cooper before his client threw a punch with mild to moderate force.

Cooper, 33, pleaded not guilty to unlawful striking causing death.