Father of coward punch victim says violence will increase if lockout laws are relaxed
The father of coward punch victim Thomas Kelly says scrapping Sydney’s lockout laws will see violence increase.
A push is on to repeal or waterdown 1:30am lockout laws in Kings Cross and Sydney’s CBD.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak says the laws are “killing the city” and has introduced a bill into parliament to repeal the strict laws.
The laws came into place after Thomas Kelly was coward punched in 2012.
His father, Ralph Kelly, says the lockouts still need to be in place and we can’t afford to have them wound back.
“I think we’d go backwards,” he tells John Stanley.
“We’d see violence starting to creep up again.
“Unfortunately, there are people in our society who go out at night and want to fight and are violent when they become intoxicated.”
Click PLAY below for the full interview
Mr Kelly is hopeful the government won’t change their mind on supporting the lockout laws they introduced.
He says the majority of the community support the regulations.
“I think the majority of Sydney people, families, parents, people who are educated around the effects of intoxication and drugs are very supportive.
“It’s the louder, smaller part of the community who are anti the lockout laws.”