A devastated father has recalled how his 18-year-old son died from a haemorrhage near his brain after collapsing at a suburban boxing gym.
George Diamond, an apprentice carpenter, was taken to hospital in February 2019 after a sparring session at Sting Gym in Cranbourne, Melbourne’s south-east.
The teenager could not be saved and he died at Alfred Hospital.
An autopsy revealed Diamond’s death was caused by an “acute subdural haemorrhage operated in a setting of martial arts activities”, Melbourne’s Coroners Court was told on Tuesday.
“There were also indications of an older subdural hemorrhage,” said counsel assisting Gideon Boas.
George had just started boxing again after taking a break following his first concussion four months earlier when he died.
George Diamond (pictured), an apprentice carpenter, was taken to hospital after a sparring session at Sting Gym in Cranbourne, Melbourne’s south-east, in February 2019
A coroner is investigating the death of George Diamond, 18, after he was injured but returned to boxing at a Melbourne gym. Mr. Diamond is on the left in the photo. His father Vic is on the right in the photo
George’s father Vic Diamond cried on the witness stand as he recalled a heartbreaking conversation with his son on the way home from hospital when he was first injured.
“I told him, ‘Georgie, maybe you should give boxing a miss for a while,’” he said.
‘He said to me: ‘Dad, the gym owners said I was fine, they let me drive home, two GPs said I was fine, a doctor at the hospital told me that I don’t even have To be able to do a scan, we have to trust what they say, because they are professionals.’
“I regret that,” Mr. Diamond said.
The first injury occurred when George was sparring and his opponent hit him in the groin and repeatedly in the head on October 25, 2018.
Mr. Diamond recalled that his son came home from the gym that evening and was not himself.
“He told me, ‘I got hurt boxing, the gym checked me out, gave me a Gatorade and he let me drive home 20 minutes afterward,’” he told the court.
‘My question is: why didn’t they call an ambulance? There are three medical centers within a mile radius of the gym. Why didn’t they take him to one of those medical centers?’
The next day, George went to work, but his boss sent him home because he was vomiting, and that’s when his father decided to take him to a doctor.
He told the doctor he was vomiting, dizzy, had a headache and back pain, and she sent him away but told him to come back if it continued.
His condition didn’t improve, so they returned to another doctor, and were again told to give it a few days before bringing him back, the father said.
No MRI or CT scans were ordered, but the teen was sent to undergo blood tests.
His symptoms persisted, causing father and son to go to Frankston Hospital on November 5, where he was diagnosed with concussion.
Mr. Diamond asked the doctor to order an MRI or CT scan for his son, but the emergency doctor said he did not need the scan.
“I asked him twice to do a CT scan, he said I was overprotective and it wasn’t necessary,” he said.
The doctor said the radiation from the scan would not be good for the 18-year-old, Mr Diamond said.
Family members of George Diamond are pictured. From left to right: Perry, Eva, George, Christian, Shayla, Isiah and Vic Diamond
The doctor gave the teenager advice about his head injury and return to boxing, including written information about concussion.
After the incident, the gym suspended the teen on medical grounds, but after he died, family members accessed his phone and sent material to the court that they allege showed him attending the gym during his suspension.
Former Sting Gym co-owner John Paule said the gym rescinded the suspension on Jan. 11, 2019, after a phone call with the teen.
That was two weeks before a doctor cleared George to start sparring again.
George Diamond is pictured on the right with his mother Shaylay. An investigation into his death continues
Roisin Annesley, KC, from the gym, asked Mr Diamond if he agreed that the gym staff cared about his son.
“When someone is caring for someone, they’re not putting their life in danger,” he said. “If you care about him, you won’t put him back in the ring.
“If I loved and cared for someone, I wouldn’t endanger their life. Come on.’
The inquest before State Coroner John Cain continues.