Lyttle will not go to jail and will be able to return home as a result of a Sydney magistrate’s verdict today.
Earlier this month, Lyttle had pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to his brother Patrick in an incident that took place in the Kings Cross area of Sydney in the early hours of January 3.
Barry punched Patrick in the head, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head off the pavement, which resulted in serious injuries and a week-long spell in a coma before he began to recover.
Since recovering, Patrick has publicly expressed his support for his brother and had asked for the charges to be dropped.
Amazing news today via @BelTel pic.twitter.com/7viVTq6x5E
— Sara Neill (@ImSaraNeill) February 4, 2015
At a sentence hearing earlier this month, Patrick pleaded for the charges to be dropped and to allow his brother to return to Ireland, where both Patrick and Barry intend on travelling around the country and speaking to young people about the devastating consequences of violence.
“When my family is healed I will be healed,” Patrick said.
“Victims often want to see deterrence. But everyone can see how much my brother has suffered.”
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Barry’s barrister, Chris Watson, told the court that the attack was a “very emotional, spur of the moment act” and that Barry had shown “an extreme level of contrition and remorse”.
Patrick Lyttle is not expected to suffer any lasting effects as a result of the attack.
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