An Irishman is in critical condition after being attacked in a suburb of Sydney, Australia last weekend.
Gearoid Walsh (23), believed to be from Dublin, suffered severe head injuries in the attack at Coogee on Sunday, and is on a life support machine at Prince of Wales Hospital.
When police arrived, the backpacker had stopped breathing and was in cardiac arrest.
It is believed he had been drinking at hotels in the area before he got into an argument with a man at a takeaway food shop on Arden Street, police said in a statement.
New South Wales police released CCTV footage of a person they wish to interview in relation to the incident. The man is described as being 25-30 years old, average build, 75kg, 175cm tall, short brown slightly curly hair, clean shaven, round face, white/European wearing a white V-neck T-shirt and jeans.
“We would like to speak to the person in this CCTV footage as we believe he can provide us with information as to what happened,” said Detective Inspector Paul Simpkins, Eastern Beaches LAC crime manager.
Detective Simpkins said the Irishman only arrived in Australia a month ago on a working visa and had been spending time between his brother's house in Brisbane and his sister in Randwick.
“Gearoid’s mother arrived from Ireland on Wednesday night. This is the last reason she would want to come to Australia," he added.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said consular assistance was being provided to the injured man's family. There was no further update on his condition this evening.
Mr Walsh is the second young Irish man to be attacked in the same part of Sydney in the past 15 months.
David Keohane from Ballyvolane, Cork ended up in a coma for more than six months after he was assaulted on the side of the road in Sydney on August 2nd, 2008.
He regained consciousness on St Patrick's Day at Cork University Hospital. Detectives from New South Wales police planned travel to Cork in the hope Mr Keohane would be able to recall aspects of the attack.