Lead-up to bashing
Alleged M1 attackers on buck’s celebrations
THE group of men alleged to have bashed Brock Prime and left him on the side of the M1 were out on a buck’s party in Burleigh Heads earlier in the day.
Friends say the men were on their way to Beenleigh to continue their night about 9.30pm on Saturday when their white van got into a “cat and mouse style” chase with Mr Prime.
“They were here for a buck’s party, 10 or so of them,” said staff at the popular watering hole Nightjar at Burleigh Heads. “They were wearing dark sunglasses.”
Staff said the group did not to behave out of the ordinary, “only the odd cheer here or there”.
They said the men arrived at the venue about 5.30pm and stayed for a couple of drinks before leaving in a white van about 6.30pm.
Yesterday, Mr Prime remained in a coma in the intensive care unit at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
The 29-year-old concreter – who moved in with his mother five weeks ago and was working 10-hour days to stop the family losing their home following the death of his stepfather – was attacked with a metal bar, believed to be a tyre iron or crowbar, by a group on the M1 at Yatala.
Mr Prime’s black Subaru almost collided with the van about 14km earlier at Coomera and police said the vehicles played cat and mouse, swerving in and out of traffic.
Three men have been charged grevious bodily harm. The matters of Jordan Baklas, 27, and Ryan Hallifax, 28, are expected to be heard in the Beenleigh Magistrates Court today. Jonathan Lawrence, 26, has been remanded in custody with his matter adjourned until May 2.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Karen Friedrichs this week said the charges may be upgraded if it is determined Mr Prime will not recover.
Yesterday, police said “charges will not change unless the situation changes”.