Australia court allows Irishman move closer to brother

Irish man Barry Lyttle has been allowed to move close to the hospital where his brother Patrick is recovering following their alleged fight earlier this month.

Barry Lyttle (33) had previously had to stay with an aunt in western Sydney, almost 40 kilometres away from the city centre St Vincent’s Hospital.

It is understood that his aunt is not in good health and her home is no longer suitable for Mr Lyttle to stay in.

When he appeared in court today, the prosecution did not oppose his application to have that aspect of his bail conditions changed.

Patrick Lyttle (31), from Ballycastle, Co Antrim was initially in an induced coma following surgery after allegedly being assaulted by his brother in the Kings Cross entertainment district in the early hours of January 3rd.

He regained consciousness on Friday January 9th.

While in court today, Barry Lyttle was supported by his father Oliver (74), and his partner, Patricia Greene, who travelled to Sydney from Northern Ireland.

Mr Lyttle is still required to report to police every day. An application to have this reduced to three times a week was denied after being opposed by the prosecution.

The case against Mr Lyttle will proceed in the District Court next month. If convicted, he could face a longer sentence than if the matter was held in the Local Court.

The police have been instructed to serve their brief of evidence within three weeks. This is a shorter than normal timeframe, due to the circumstances of the case.

Speaking outside the court, Oliver Lyttle said Patrick is "coming along very well" and "he's communicating".

Patrick Lyttle had been backpacking around Australia since last June and had met his brother and their father in Sydney three days before the incident.

Barry Lyttle’s bail conditions also include surrendering his passport, a AU$2,000 (€1,414) surety and not approaching his brother within 12 hours of consuming alcohol.