Four jailed Kiwis face deportation over savage attack on young father

Four Kiwis are facing deportation from Australia for the horrific coward punch and brutal bashing of a defenceless young father. Photo / CCTV / Facebook

Four Kiwis who were jailed for brutally bashing a defenceless young father after a case of mistaken identity are now facing deportation from Australia.

Melbourne father Kane Dulieu was celebrating his 24th birthday in November 2016 when Maele Maele, 28, his 20-year-old nephews Apisai and Leti Maele, and friend Andrew Apineru, 26, approached him over a damaged car.

Despite Dulieu having nothing to do with the car, the four men viciously attacked him including coward-punching him, and kicking and punching him as he lay unconscious on the ground, the Herald Sun reported.

Footage of the attack shows Dulieu falling heavily to the ground following the coward punch.

Footage of the heinous attack shows Dulieu walking along the footpath before a man delivers a brutal and unprovoked coward punch to the young father. Photo / CCTV

A friend is also seen running to help the defenceless Dulieu but he too was hit by one of the attackers, sending him to the ground.

Dulieu was rushed to hospital where he was placed in a coma.

A judge later described the attack as "savage and cowardly" and "without any justification whatsoever".

Days later Dulieu emerged from his coma. He told the Herald Sun he's lucky he survived the brutal attack.

"This could have ended so differently and my son would have had to grow up without a dad," he said.

"That's what makes me angry."

Dulieu told the Herald Sun he is lucky to be alive and that 'This could have ended so differently and my son would have had to grow up without a dad.' Photo / Facebook

Maele Maele, Apisai Maele, Leti Maele, and Apineru pleaded guilty to three charges of intentionally causing injury and one of recklessly causing injury.

Apineru was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail and Maele Maele was jailed for four-and-a-half years for starting the fight.

Apisai and Leti Maele were sentenced to two years and nine months behind bars for their part in the attack.

The four men could now be deported back to New Zealand after their release from jail.