Morcom inquest hears of 'repeated' punches

The coronial inquest into the death of Mullumbimby High School student Jai Morcom has been told he was repeatedly punched to the back of the head after falling to the ground during a schoolyard brawl.
The final witness on the fifth day of the inquest said 15-year-old Jai had managed to stagger back to his feet before collapsing against a wall.
He never regained consciousness and died the following day in a Gold Coast hospital from a massive brain haemorrhage.
Several students had testified they saw Jai trading punches with another student in the midst of an all-in-brawl involving up to 20 students.
Up to another 50 students were watching.
Several gave evidence they had seen Jai raise his arms to protect his head before he fell.
After three days of conflicting testimony, the court on Friday heard from the first witness to say he saw Jai in the moments before he collapsed.
Under cross-examination, the witness said he was only two metres from Jai.
Council assisting the Coroner, Michael Wigney, SC, repeatedly asked how he could be certain it was Jai being punched on the ground.
"Because of his hair and his t-shirt and because I saw him walk to the wall," (where he collapsed) the witness said.
"After (the other student) was pulled off, Jai got up staggering, swaying from side to side. He was not good on his feet."
Questioned of his certainty regarding the identity of the other student he replied: "Because it looked like (the student) and I'd seen him fighting with (another student) as well."
In the confusion, none of the teachers or staff who appeared at the inquest on Tuesday had seen what happened to Jai before he collapsed.
Witnesses close to Jai during the fight had previously testified that they were either looking out for themselves or their mates in the melee and hadn't seen Jai until he had emerged staggering from the fight as it was broken up by other students and teachers.
The fight, which the court heard had lasted from 30 to 60 seconds, had erupted after a two-week dispute between students over lunch tables.
Several witnesses had testified that what began as a bit of fun between Year 9 and 11 students, flared out of control after one student spat upon another.
The inquest continues next week.