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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National

Swansea RSL staff bashed: three family members plead guilty

The three men re-entered the premises through the smashed doors before assaulting two employees. Picture from Google Streetview

TWO men smashed their way back into the Swansea RSL Club and bashed a bar manager after watching a family member get ejected over a dispute with a female musician, according to court documents.

Troy Toby, 37, and Alan Toby, 55, appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday where they pleaded guilty to affray and damaging property after prosecutors agreed to withdraw more serious charges.

A third member of the family, Ronald Toby, 75, was fined $900 in March after he pleaded guilty to his role in the ejection and subsequent brawl at the popular lakeside club last year.

The three Toby men were among a group at the club about 6pm on December 16 when a female musician complained to staff that she had been "verbally attacked".

A member of the group was ejected and others followed, before a staff member pushed Ronald Toby out the front doors, causing him to stumble across the footpath, according to court documents.

It was this that apparently triggered members of the group, including Troy Toby, to try to re-enter the club.

"They're coming back, lock the doors," one staff member said as another staff member locked the glass doors to the main entrance.

Two men, including Troy Toby, charged into two separate glass doors, causing them to shatter and then attacked two staff members inside.

Troy Toby punched the bar manager ten times to the head and body, knocking him to the ground where the man attempted to protect his head.

Another staff member was grabbed around the neck before other patrons intervened and the men fled.

The bar manager was taken to John Hunter Hospital and treated for a cut to his head, a fractured finger and a torn ACL.

The Toby men were arrested later that evening and charged.

As part of the plea deal, lawyers for Troy and Alan Toby negotiated for the men to be prosecuted in the local court, where they face lesser maximum penalties.

Troy Toby will be sentenced in Belmont Local Court in August, while Alan Toby's matter will be mentioned next week to get a sentence date.

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