Nightclub bashing victim awarded nearly $1.4 million A Gold Coast nightclub consortium has been ordered to pay nearly $1.4 million to a patron knocked unconscious with a metal bar by one of its bar staff. Andrew Lamble was at a Christmas party at Broadbeach's Howl at the Moon nightclub in December 2006 when a brawl broke out between his workmates and nightclub staff outside the venue. Mr Lamble, then 29, was not a participant in the fight but was struck to the head by barman Anthony Cerantonio with a metal rubbish collector. The force of the blow rendered him unconscious and subsequently left the roofing labourer a disability pensioner. Seven years on, in the Supreme Court of Queensland this week, Justice James Douglas found the nightclub owners were vicariously liable for the attack and ordered they pay Mr Lamble $1.399 million to cover damages, past and future economic loss, future care and future expenses. The finding followed a nine day trial in December, 2012. In his ruling, Justice Douglas said as a result of the attack, Mr Lamble suffered a shattered left cheek bone, eye socket and jaw, a hairline skull fracture, back pain and severe headaches that have worsened with time. He said until the attack, Mr Lamble had rarely been out of work but was now a disability pensioner. He had been forced out of the home he had owned before the attack and into a rental property and his relationship with the mother of his two children had fallen apart. He has also been treated for depression since the assault. Mr Cerantonio pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Lamble and was sentenced by a magistrate. Justice Douglas rejected the defence by Howl at the Moon Pty Ltd that Mr Cerantonio - the son of one of the club's managers - had, ""not acted within the scope of his authority as bartender"" and therefore absolved the owners of liability. Justice Douglas also rejected a defence that at the time of the attack Mr Lamble was overly intoxicated, saying witness testimony and CCTV footage from the scene supported Mr Lamble's evidence that he had only nine beers over the course of an afternoon and evening because he wanted to get home to see his three-week-old son. Howl at the Moon Pty Limited has 28 days to lodge an appeal against the ruling.