A SECURITY guard is recovering in hospital after being punched, kneed and thrown down a flight of stairs at The Bended Elbow in Albury on Sunday night.
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Mathew Rivett, 27, had been working a shift at the hotel when he asked a man to leave the upstairs One Nightclub about 11pm because he was not wearing shoes.
The man’s brother had approached and punched him, before kneeing him to the head and pushing him down a flight of stairs.
Mr Rivett suffered a collapsed lung that needed to be reinflated by doctors at Albury Hospital.
His left eye was cut and he has a number of cracked ribs and a fractured eye socket.
Police said yesterday a man was assisting them with their inquiries into the assault but no charges had been laid.
Mr Rivett’s parents Chris and David Rivett said they were shocked someone targeted their son, who was just doing his job.
“I’m gutted,” Mrs Rivett said.
“He’s gone off to work, thinking he’s going to be OK, and you get a phone call a few hours later saying he’s going off to hospital.”
Mr Rivett has worked as a bouncer for about 2½ years and was “a very gentle soul”, his mother said.
“He speaks to everyone with respect, more so when he’s working,” she said.
“He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.
“It’s shocking.
“He wants to take this further, he wants the people who did it charged, he’s not willing to let it go.”
Mr Rivett is likely to spend several more days in hospital.
The music was switched off immediately following Mr Rivett’s assault and all patrons were asked to leave the nightclub as it closed early.
