Inquest hears pub patron ‘turned blue’

Nastasia Campanella

Updated October 10, 2011 14:52:36

An inquest has heard a man who died while being restrained outside a hotel in Sydney’s south-west had turned blue, but police thought he was faking it.

Deputy state coroner Sharon Freund is examining the death of Paul Ahsin, 40, in April last year in the car park of the Club Hotel in Campbelltown.

In his opening statement this morning, counsel assisting Chris McGorey told the Glebe Coroner’s Court Mr Ahsin had been out to watch a rugby game on the night he died.

The court heard Mr Ahsin’s wife drove her husband and his brother to the hotel, where the pair started drinking.

It is alleged a security guard asked the pair to leave.

There was then a physical altercation and Mr Ahsin was handcuffed face down on the ground outside the venue.

John Payne, who was working at the pub on the night of Mr Ahsin’s death, took the stand to explain what he saw.

Mr Payne told the court he remembers Mr Ahsin growling, puffing and breathing heavily.

He said he saw Mr Ahsin’s chin and cheeks turn blue after he was restrained on the ground, and could not see his chest moving.

Mr Payne told the inquest that two police officers were trying to get Mr Ahsin to stand up at that point, but they were unsuccessful.

He said he told the officers that Mr Ahsin had turned blue, but they responded by saying ‘He’s faking it’.

The inquest also heard Mr Ahsin had previously been banned from the hotel, but the venue had changed management and it is not clear whether he was barred at the time of his death.

Tags:

courts-and-trials,
death,
campbelltown-2560

First posted October 10, 2011 12:42:40

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Premium WordPress Themes | Thanks to Themes Gallery, Bromoney and Wordpress Themes