Winnies bosses, however, maintain their security guards did well to quickly break up last Saturday night’s fight and usher both parties off the premises, through opposite doors.
Simon Botherway, whose 18-year-old suffered a broken nose, concussion and severe bruising, believes the venue should have involved the cops.
He’s put up a 15-second video of the fracas — filmed by another patron — on his Facebook page, asking if any of the alleged offenders can be identified.
"That people feel they can do this and get away with it, that’s not OK.
"I mean, if that behaviour is tolerated, then there will be a time when somebody does get seriously injured, if not killed."
Justin Fenton, Republic Hospitality’s group ops manager, says "I’ve been in town for 13 years, and you call the police and sometimes the police might rock up in five minutes, or they might rock up the next day and say, ‘I hear something happened’."
The 18-year-old student, who’s asked for his first name not to be published, says he entered Winnies in a group of seven or eight.
He claims a patron was harassing himself and a female friend.
"He was being quite disrespectful to the girls and I just had enough of it.
"Sadly, it’s not the greatest, but I did throw the first punch.
"And then, next thing, another four guys joined."
The student says one held him down while the others administered "a pretty decent belting".
Republic boss Blair Impey says five security staff were on duty.
"A fight was seen to be happening on the dance floor, and all the guards went in and split up the groups — one went out the back door, one went out the front."
The student says a guard pulled him out of the crowd and got him on to the street.
Botherway says his son was so dazed he fell on to the pavement and lacerated his elbow.
The dad subsequently laid a complaint with the police and showed them the video footage.
He later also got medical attention for his son, but thinks the nightclub should have organised that, too.
Queenstown senior sergeant Glenn Wilkinson believes cops should be informed if an assault takes place on licensed premises, particularly if it results in injuries.
