A Dapto family has been left shattered after a drunken argument between a father and son ended in tragedy.
Police allege Matthew Domio and his father, Dario Domio, had been drinking together in the lounge room of their Bambil Crescent home on Sunday when the otherwise uneventful evening turned sour.
By 7pm, the pair were arguing, with Dario allegedly getting ‘‘in the face’’ of his son and yelling at him repeatedly, facts tendered to Port Kembla Local Court said.
Less than an hour later, Dario would be rushed to Wollongong Hospital for emergency surgery to remove a large part of his skull to release the swelling on his brain.
Later, Matthew Domio allegedly told police he ‘‘must have lost it’’ and punched his father once to the left side of his jaw, causing him to fall to the ground.
At a bail hearing for the 30-year-old on Monday, the court heard Domio had initially sought help from his brother, who moved their father into an armchair following the alleged assault.
There, Dario complained about having lost a tooth and spoke to his former partner on the phone, before eventually losing consciousness, the facts said.
Realising Dario had become unresponsive, Domio and his brother raised the alarm.
Paramedics rushed him to Wollongong Hospital with suspected cranial bleeding and he was immediately taken into surgery to have a large section of his skull removed, the facts said.
The court heard the Dapto father would likely suffer permanent brain damage if he survived the injury.
Matthew Domio was arrested and charged with one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and taken to Shellharbour Hospital for drug and alcohol testing.
Representing Domio at his bail hearing, lawyer Stewart Holt told the court his client was devastated by what had taken place.
‘‘My client says this has been the worst night of his life. He is extremely upset about what has taken place and his father’s condition. It is a terrible situation to find himself in,’’ Mr Holt said.
The court heard Domio was on a number of supervised good behaviour bonds, which included drug and alcohol counselling.
Magistrate Geraldine Beattie refused Domio bail and adjourned the matter until July 22.
