CCTV footage has captured the chaos that unfolded as two men were stabbed outside the Oxford Street nightclub Noir early on Saturday.
The release of the footage to the media by nearby venue The Bunker came as police confirmed the attacker was wielding a broad, heavy knife known as a machete. The weapon was recovered by police.
It also comes as Noir's co-owner Ronny Dubé told GSN that the alleged perpetrator was not a patron but that he believed one of the victims was.
In an updated statement issued close to 1am on Sunday morning, NSW Police said they had been told that a 25-year-old man was being stabbed just after 3am on Saturday morning by a male armed with a machete outside Noir when a 34-year-old man went to the aid of the younger man and was also stabbed.
The male armed with the machete fled the scene on foot and was last seen running towards Palmer Street with several other males, police said.
Footage from Channel Seven showed blood on the ground outside the Palms nightclub, near Palmer Street.
Friends of the younger man drove him to St Vincent’s Hospital, where he was admitted and remains in a serious but stable condition after suffering multiple stab wounds.
Ambulance paramedics treated the 34-year-old man at the scene before taking him to the same hospital for treatment to his left arm and right hand. He is also in a stable condition.
Neither the 25-year-old or 34-year-old men are known to one another.
Officers from Surry Hills Police Area Command secured three crime scenes along Oxford Street and seized the vehicle that conveyed the younger man to St Vincent’s Hospital.
As inquiries continue, detectives have established Strike Force Jacob to investigate the circumstances surrounding the matter.
Noir's co-owner said it was a shame people were resorting to violence.
“It’s nothing that’s within our control what happened,” Dubé said.
“It’s a shame and disappointing that anyone, anywhere is resorting to violence. Someone who didn’t even come to the club or try get in and [has] zero affiliation to us or what we stand for has done the wrong thing and a disgusting thing but yet us and my amazing team who are good people breaking their backs to deliver a great experience and safety of patrons and the street are the ones who will cop public backlash and receive undeserving labels."
Dubé said he looked "forward to working with the police in their investigation that hopefully sees justice being served".
It follows an interview Dubé gave in early July with TikToker @denniiboii (Dennis Newsome), in which the club co-owner detailed what Noir was doing in response to a recent rise in homophobic incidents outside the venue.
The interview came as Noir celebrated its first birthday.
"In terms of running events going forward, there's a strenuous vetting process that needs to happen with promoters that come in and bring people to the club," Dubé said in the video. "We need to make sure they are in line with a safe environment, that they aren't going to bring people who are bigoted or close-minded when they come to Oxford Street.
"We stand with the community. I think the misconstrued perception at the moment is that anything that's happened … we've condoned it in some way, shape or form.
"[That's] really not the case.
"We've always been on the lookout for any kind of anti-social behaviour, anything that's homophobic or transphobic or anything of the sort."
Dubé said Noir had hired extra security staff that are "purely tasked with looking after any members of a community that might be susceptible to any bullying, any antisocial behaviour".
He added: "We stand with you [the queer community], we don't condone any of the behaviour that's happened and, if anything, half the time you'll find that a lot of the people who have been a little bit anti-social, they've been banned from our club straightaway. It's not the people that we even want in the venue.
Police are urging anyone who may have witnessed – or has any available mobile phone/dashcam footage – of the stabbing incident to contact Surry Hills Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: [email protected]
