Bouncer suspended after claims of Hallam student knocked unconscious

A bouncer has been suspended after accusations of knocking a Hallam student unconscious in a Sheffield bar.

Tom Egan, 19, was left with severe facial injuries and could need surgery after the incident at Kettle Black cocktail bar early on Saturday morning.

The Sheffield Hallam University paramedic science student was enjoying a night out with a friend at the bar on Ecclesall Road when a row broke out.

A police investigation is underway but no arrests have been made.

Messages seen by The Tab Sheffield appear to show the bar’s manager confirming that the bouncer has been suspended pending an internal probe.

Tom's family claim he was punched “several times”, unprovoked, and left concussed before being taken to hospital by police.

“Tom was asked to leave at the end of the night after his friend got lary, and bouncers started pushing him,” Louise Egan, his sister, told The Tab Sheffield.

She claimed: “Several bouncers pinned him to the floor then Tom got punched in the face several times, was knocked unconscious. He was even stomped on, we have a picture showing a footprint on his clothes, all ripped.” He has several face fractures and has been told he may need surgery.

Louise said: “It was very upsetting because he’s my lil bro and he’s only 19. As soon as I got the phone call I was in A&E within 10 minutes. I stayed and looked after him.

“He was quite concussed initially in a bit of a daze, and I think he’s quite frustrated as he’s just starting uni.”

She is now demanding more attention on bouncers' behaviour in university towns, and is in discussions with the council to bring about more regulation.

“It’s quite appalling really as these bouncers are not police, they’re trained to de-escalate situations.

“There is lots of talk on all these girls going out and not being safe, but there’s not enough focus on these young lads who have just started uni and might be going out for the first time. This could have been a lot worse with bleed on the brain; you hear about people dying from punches like Tom received.”

She feels the “whole stance of man up and deal with it” is seeing incidents of violence go unreported to police.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We received a call at 2:05am on Saturday 8 February to reports of an assault at Kettle Black bar on Ecclesall Road in Sheffield.

“It is reported that a 19-year-old man was assaulted by an unknown man, suffering facial injuries."

Kettle Black did not respond to multiple requests for comment.