Man charged with assault of Cork man in Sydney granted bail

Jason Cierans in induced coma following attack outside pub at Bondi Junction

Jason Cierans, from Cork,  is in an induced coma in a hospital in Sydney
Jason Cierans, from Cork, is in an induced coma in a hospital in Sydney

An Argentinian national has been granted bail in Sydney over his alleged assault of an Irish man last weekend.

Adrian Martinez (30) has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Cork man Jason Cierans outside the Tea Gardens pub in the eastern suburb of Bondi Junction.

Mr Cierans (29) has been in St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney since the attack. He is in an induced coma in a critical but stable condition.

Mr Martinez appeared in Sydney’s central local court on Thursday and was granted bail. He is due to return to Waverley local court on October 22.

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Another man, a 27-year-old, has been charged with affray over the incident. He was previously granted bail and will face Waverley local court next month.

Mr Cierans’ mother Stephanie spoke to reporters outside St Vincent’s today, with her husband Declan and son Jamie.

“I need him to get well and come home to me,” she said. “I want him back in my arms. I want to kiss and hug him.”

Ms Cierans said her son was a loving, funny, happy-go-lucky man.

She said he has been in Australia for six years and has never missed a day of work at his construction job.

Her son’s Australian friends had become like family to him, she said, and he thought of Sydney as his home and Ireland as a holiday.

“I can’t be any prouder of my son. Any parent whose son or daughter lives abroad has this fear when the door knocks late at night,” she said.

“Our world turned upside down on Friday night.”

Ms Cierans and her family arrived in Sydney from Ireland on Monday and have been by Jason’s side since then.

Pádraig Collins

Pádraig Collins

Pádraig Collins a contributor to The Irish Times based in Sydney