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Deaf boy, 17, dies after heated restaurant row | NEWS.com.au
A 17-YEAR-OLD boy is dead and another teenager faces a hefty jail term after a dispute with two girls boiled over into bloodshed outside a McDonald's restaurant in Cairns.
"It is a tragedy on both sides," said Far Northern Region Crime co-ordinator Detective Inspector John Harris.
"One boy has been king-hit and has died. The other has acted without thinking and now faces serious consequences."
Trinity Bay High School student Peter Gesa, 17, who was profoundly deaf and only communicated using sign language, was knocked to the ground with a single blow outside the Esplanade restaurant on Saturday about 2.30am (AEST). The incident followed an alleged disagreement between the boy, two girls and a man, 19, inside the restaurant.
"Someone has thrown water on him," Insp Harris said. "He has reacted by grabbing one of these girls around the neck and that is when an ex-boyfriend supposedly came to her aid.
"There has been a bit of a melee outside and police will allege that is when Peter has suffered one substantial punch to the head."
The teenager was taken to Cairns Base hospital in a coma before being flown by air ambulance to intensive care in Townsville for specialist neurological treatment. But he never regained consciousness and was declared dead on Sunday.
His visibly shocked mother Rosie yesterday flew back to Cairns from her son's hospital bedside to begin preparations for his funeral.
"It has been such a big shock," she said yesterday.
"The police came and told me he had been hurt, and then we flew to Townsville, and now he is gone.
"I don't know what is going on.
"I don't know why this has happened."
The Torres Strait Islander said she lived together with her church-going son in their inner-city Cairns home and he was "a good, healthy and happy" boy.
She admitted that it would have been hard for her deaf son to get into an argument.
"He can't speak. He only uses sign language or reads people's lips," Ms Gesa said.
A 19-year-old Cairns man has been charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm and was bailed to re-appear in Cairns Magistrate's Court in two weeks.
Police are yet to decide if the charge will be upgraded to manslaughter or murder.
A 17-YEAR-OLD boy is dead and another teenager faces a hefty jail term after a dispute with two girls boiled over into bloodshed outside a McDonald's restaurant in Cairns.
"It is a tragedy on both sides," said Far Northern Region Crime co-ordinator Detective Inspector John Harris.
"One boy has been king-hit and has died. The other has acted without thinking and now faces serious consequences."
Trinity Bay High School student Peter Gesa, 17, who was profoundly deaf and only communicated using sign language, was knocked to the ground with a single blow outside the Esplanade restaurant on Saturday about 2.30am (AEST). The incident followed an alleged disagreement between the boy, two girls and a man, 19, inside the restaurant.
"Someone has thrown water on him," Insp Harris said. "He has reacted by grabbing one of these girls around the neck and that is when an ex-boyfriend supposedly came to her aid.
"There has been a bit of a melee outside and police will allege that is when Peter has suffered one substantial punch to the head."
The teenager was taken to Cairns Base hospital in a coma before being flown by air ambulance to intensive care in Townsville for specialist neurological treatment. But he never regained consciousness and was declared dead on Sunday.
His visibly shocked mother Rosie yesterday flew back to Cairns from her son's hospital bedside to begin preparations for his funeral.
"It has been such a big shock," she said yesterday.
"The police came and told me he had been hurt, and then we flew to Townsville, and now he is gone.
"I don't know what is going on.
"I don't know why this has happened."
The Torres Strait Islander said she lived together with her church-going son in their inner-city Cairns home and he was "a good, healthy and happy" boy.
She admitted that it would have been hard for her deaf son to get into an argument.
"He can't speak. He only uses sign language or reads people's lips," Ms Gesa said.
A 19-year-old Cairns man has been charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm and was bailed to re-appear in Cairns Magistrate's Court in two weeks.
Police are yet to decide if the charge will be upgraded to manslaughter or murder.
