A WAGGA man has been concussed by a coward punch during a violent alcohol-fuelled assault at a Bruce Springsteen concert near Newcastle.
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Forest Hill resident Don Elphick was rushed to Maitland Hospital early Sunday morning after he was bashed in front of his wife, Angela, during the rock legend’s performance.
Mr Elphick, who is a diabetic and suffers from a prolapsed disc in his back, told The Daily Advertiser he has been unable to return to work since the attack.
“I can just remember my hands, my arms and my neck all tingling,” he said.
“I was scared of becoming paralysed.”
Police claim he and a 47-year-old drunken patron were communicating with each other when he was allegedly punched in the back of the head.
The perpetrator then allegedly mounted Mr Elphick and applied a headlock while a female accomplice delivered blows to the victim’s already-ailing back.
“If he hit me two millimetres to the right I could have been dead,” Mr Elphick said.
“He kept asking me to step outside – even though we were outside – and threatened to knock me out.
“I knew I couldn’t fight back because he was so drunk that one punch could have killed him.”
His partner, Angela, watched on in horror as crowds of revellers rushed into the fray.
In a cruel twist of the knife, the couple only saw Springsteen perform two songs with their $300 premium tickets before Mr Elphick was rushed to hospital.
Ms Elphick has been caring for her husband while he recovers.
She has blamed event organisers, claiming they failed to enforce the responsible service of alcohol.
“The guy fell over a set of chairs and landed on people because he was so drunk but they kept selling him drinks,” she said.
“Me and Don were stone cold sober and we didn’t expect to deal with this at a Bruce Springsteen concert.
“Even when they took Don to the first aid booth, he had to wait for at least a dozen people who were either vomiting or passing out.”
Wagga police will take statements from the couple in the coming days.
The venue where the concert took place, was unable to be reached for an official comment.