Two teenage boys have been charged after a man was allegedly knocked unconscious during a violent incident on a bus in Belmont in the Hunter region.
Emergency services were called to the Pacific Highway at Belmont just after midday on Sunday (May 3, 2026), following reports of an assault onboard a bus.
Officers from the NSW Police Force, including Lake Macquarie Police District and Police Transport Command, attended and were told a group of youths had boarded the bus before an argument broke out with a 49-year-old man.
As the group got off the bus, they allegedly assaulted the man repeatedly, knocking him unconscious.
NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the man at the scene for head and facial injuries before transporting him to John Hunter Hospital, where he remains for further treatment.
A short time later, police located nine youths at a nearby fast-food restaurant in Belmont and arrested them.
Following inquiries, seven were released pending further investigation.
Two boys, aged 13 and 15, were taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company.
Both were refused bail and are expected to appear before a children’s court.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.