Christie murder charge formally laid A MURDER charge has been formally laid against Daniel Christie's alleged attacker, Shaun McNeil, in a Sydney court. The self-proclaimed martial arts fighter and labourer did not appear in Central Local Court on Tuesday, when the charge was laid in the wake of the 18-year-old's death at St Vincent's Hospital on Saturday. McNeil's lawyer did not apply for bail on his behalf and it was formally refused. The 25-year-old is accused of felling Mr Christie with a single punch in an unprovoked attack at Kings Cross on New Year's Eve. He has also been charged with assaulting four other young men, including Mr Christie's brother, Peter Christie. Mr Christie's life support was turned off after he spent 11 days in a coma, with his devastated family describing him as a "beacon of morality." "No family should be forced to deal with this situation, however we are not the first and we fear that we won't be the last," they said. Mr Christie was attacked in almost the same place where 18-year-old Thomas Kelly was fatally punched in July 2012. Both attacks have prompted growing calls for tougher sentencing for alcohol-related violence. According to facts previously tendered in court, McNeil had just left the Punchbowl bar in Kings Cross with his girlfriend about 9pm when he got into a verbal altercation with three young men. McNeil allegedly boasted that he was a mixed martial arts fighter before punching Mr Christie in the face as he shielded the others. McNeil told police that the first group of young men was trying to sell him drugs and he had acted to protect his girlfriend. He has previously faced court charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and other assault charges. Magistrate Les Mabbutt adjourned the matter until March 4. The case of Nicholas Lambaditis, who is also charged with murdering a young man with a single punch during a night out, was briefly mentioned in the same court. Lambaditis, 33, is charged with murdering Brazilian man Lucio Stein Rodrigues, who was attacked outside Scruffy Murphys bar in the city last November. His lawyer, Nick Boyden, said he was waiting on a post-mortem examination report before a decision would be made on whether Lambaditis would face a committal hearing. That case was also adjourned to March 4.