A Melbourne man has turned himself in to police over a violent pub brawl that left a retiree with serious injuries.
Victim Brian Johnson this week described his dismay after an innocent outing with family to the local pub left him with horrific injuries and in need of a hip replacement.
Brian Johnson, 75, was dining with his wife and older sister at a Pascoe Vale pub last month when a violent fight between a nearby group of men broke out a few metres from them.
During the brawl on September 9, the Sunbury man was knocked off his chair, hit his head on the table and fell to the ground.
"One bloke fell over backwards on the table and the table went down with me under it," Johnson said.
"It was all over in a few seconds but (then) I couldn't get up."
He suffered a serious hip injury and was taken to hospital, which required surgery.
Johnson's wife, 76, was left with minor injuries and was also taken to hospital for treatment.
No one else was injured.
Detectives overnight arrested a 54 year-old Glenroy man who turned himself in to police, and identified six others involved in the brawl, after police released photos of the men involved.
The arrested man was interviewed and later released, while the six other men will all be interviewed at a later date.
Detective Acting Sergeant Whitney O'Toole from Merri-Banks CIU alleged a group of seven men got into the fight with another couple at the venue on Railway Pde.
Police believe there had been an earlier verbal argument before escalating to a physical altercation in the bistro sometime later.
"This behaviour is not acceptable, especially when it is a family venue and there were families present at the time," Acting Sergeant O'Toole said.
The group of men involved in the brawl left the scene before police arrived.
While police praised the quick action of staff, Johnson said if there had been more security at the venue, the escalation of events could have been avoided.
The retiree spent five weeks in hospital and is continuing rehabilitation treatment.
"It makes me very frustrated and annoyed that there's no regard for the people around them," Johnson said.
"I know it sounds old-fashioned, but they should've taken the fight out into the carpark."
