A man is in a critical condition after he was assaulted on Manly Corso overnight. It is unrelated to, but follows a day of, unrest in Manly, which saw riot police brought in.
The man critical at Royal North Shore Hospital is in his 30s; he was assaulted at about 3am on the Corso, where he suffered serious head injuries.
A Fairlight man has been arrested over the incident, with an updated article available here.
Meanwhile, police this morning confirmed no charges have been laid regarding yesterday’s Wharf fracas.
More than a dozen police units, including the riot squad and Polair were deployed after tensions mounted in the mid afternoon yesterday (26 January). More than 100 teenagers gathered at Manly Wharf and along the foreshore. Many were intoxicated and brawling, as well as arguing with police.
Police formed a line and there were three arrests of male teens, however, no charges have been laid. Police released the following statement on the matter:
“About 3.30pm on Friday (26 January 2024), officers attached to Northern Beaches Police attended the Forecourt area of Manly Wharf in response to reports of a brawl.
As a result of operation, police arrested three male teenagers who were taken to Manly Police Station where they assisted Police with inquiries.
As inquiries continue, anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”
Residents reported having to break up numerous fights between teenagers during the day, particular around the former aquarium site and long the pathway at Fairlight. Some were already intoxicated by 9am.
This is the second public brawl in a week involving large groups of teenagers.
Update, Saturday 27 January: NSW Police confirmed that the man now recovering in North Shore Hospital was assaulted and fell to the ground, where he hit his head, sustaining serious injuries.
The incident wasn’t a ‘coward punch’, as first suspected by those who were in the vicinity.
A NSW Police spokesperson added, “there’s been no arrests and we’ve been advised he’s in a stable condition.”
