City bashing victim's family make emotional plea "This could have been your brother": Karen and Mark Blackmore ask witnesses to speak up. Matthew Blackmore was on his way home from a rare night out in the city when he was punched in the side of the head and left unconscious on a George Street footpath in the early hours of Sunday. Mr Blackmore's brother Mark and sister Karen yesterday made an emotional plea for witnesses to the "unfathomable" act to come forward. He didn't do anything to deserve this. It was completely unprovoked," Ms Blackmore said. Mr Blackmore, 33, had left a work function and was looking for a taxi alone on the busy street in central Sydney when he crossed paths with five men aged in their 30s about 12.20am. Inspector Sean Heaney of City Central command said CCTV footage showed the group ran across the road in front of Mr Blackmore, close to the Park Street intersection, before one of the men headed back towards him. The man punched Mr Blackmore in the head, causing him to fall forward and smash his face into the footpath. Mr Blackmore was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where he was put into an induced coma and treated for a broken nose and fractured vertebrae in his neck. A hospital spokeswoman said he was in a stable condition. Inspector Heaney said the attack appeared to be random. There was no interaction, there was no dispute between them. It just happened," he said. At this stage we're relying on the public to come forward. There were a lot of people around so someone should have seen something. Karen Blackmore said her brother, a finance worker who lives in Maroubra, rarely went out in the city and preferred quiet nights in, or at a nearby pub, with his partner, Melinda. I think he's shocked. He had no clue because he doesn't remember anything," Ms Blackmore said. He was literally walking along with his hands by his side. He's going to make a full recovery and he's one of the lucky ones. Mark Blackmore said he was "sick of looking on the news each day and seeing these thuggeries happening on our streets. "They've just got to have a hard look at themselves and think of what they've put Matthew through, what they've put our dad through and what they've put us through," he said. This could have been your brother, your father or even your child. Opposition police spokesman Nathan Rees called on the state government to do more to curb alcohol-related violence. "Barry O'Farrell needs to convene a high-level meeting between police, health experts and the industry where everyone can speak as equals," he said. NSW Police Minister Mike Gallacher said the government had introduced several measures to reduce alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in the central business district, including sobering-up cells. "Significant progress has been made by strengthening the power of police in the area, strengthening the regulation of licensed venues and improving late-night transport and creating safer public spaces in the Kings Cross and CBD entertainment districts," he said.