Jesse Palu thought he was going to die after being glassed.
Rae Wilson | 1st October 2010
HE does not suffer the nightmares that plague many assault victims and Jesse Palu felt justice had been served when he saw his attacker jailed.
But the Mountain Creek 22-year-old still has some way to go before his body heals from the damage a broken beer bottle did to his face, chest and stomach.
One minute Jesse Palu was enjoying a carefree night out in Brisbane, dancing with his sister and their mates.
The next the body builder was fighting for his life after he was glassed by 25-year-old Goodna man Wayne Matautia.
The wounds were deep and every time his heart beat, blood gushed out.
The surgeon told him his muscles stopped the glass from reaching his lungs or heart.
On Tuesday, Matautia was sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty in Brisbane District Court to unlawful wounding.
He will be released on parole after he has served a year of his sentence.
Mr Palu was in the Mystique RnB nightclub in the Valley about 2am on January 31 when he said he accidentally bumped into a group of men on the dance floor.
"I was punched and hit over the head with a beer bottle," he told the Daily.
"The one blow broke the bottle and also cut my chest and abdomen.
"I thought I was going to die."
Mr Palu was rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital for four hours of surgery, with internal and external stitches.
He told the Daily in February that he could not lift his arms above his head and was in pain from his injuries but hoped to return to his body building after three months.
Mr Palu, who has called for a ban on glasses in pubs and clubs, said yesterday his body was still sensitive and he had not returned to the sport.
"Everything's healed up well. I can do everything I used to do but it's still a bit sensitive," he said.
"It's still quite sore when you touch it where the glass bottle cut it all open.
"The bodybuilding – I will be able to do that but I still have a big scar so I'm not sure if that will hinder it.
"Getting plastic surgery to remove the scar might be an option.
"I'm just glad it's all finished and I don't have to think about it anymore," he said of this week's sentencing.
His mother Rosemarie Palu said she did not hold much hope for a tough sentence as she kept a close eye on other sentences in the lead-up to the finalisation of her son's case.
But she said she was pleased with the result.
"I was pleased with the stance the judge was taking, recognising that glassing incidents are on the increase," she said.
"He said people were entitled to go out and have fun without these unprovoked attacks from aggressive drunken thugs."
Ms Palu said she was able to see glassings had an effect on everyone involved.
"Jesse's left permanently scarred but it's not nice for the family of the attacker either. I saw their faces when he was taken away," she said.
"People don't realise the effect on everybody involved, not just the victims and attackers but everyone involved, the healing process and the court process."
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