Four Australians linked to Perth father’s bashing flew out of Bali the next day: police

Indonesian police are searching for four Australians who flew out of Bali the day after allegedly assaulting a Perth father who died in hospital on Thursday evening.

Paul Dougan, from the south-eastern Perth suburb of Gosnells, underwent three surgeries, including to have his spleen removed, after the attack on August 5.

A statement from Denpasar City Police revealed Dougan was allegedly attacked while at the One Tribe One Life Lounge and Cafe in Kuta in the early hours of August 5.

Dougan had allegedly reprimanded an Australian man for hitting a woman when the man, along with four others, turned on him.

He sought medical treatment at Kuta’s Murni Teguh Hospital three days later, before being transferred to the BIMC Hospital for further treatment.

His family rushed to Bali to be with him and on Wednesday his son Liam launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for mounting medical costs.

On the fundraiser, Liam wrote that his father had undergone three surgeries, including to have his spleen removed, and his injuries included 10 broken ribs and severe internal bleeding.

In the statement released on Friday, Denpasar Police said investigators had questioned a number of witnesses, including Dougan’s family, security and staff at the bar, and were examining CCTV of the night.

Police suspected four Australian nationals of being linked to the incident – identified only by the acronyms RGG, PAM, JRM, and TRZ – and immigration records “indicate that all four individuals departed Indonesia on August 6”.

“Their departure is a key fact currently being investigated, alongside details regarding their respective whereabouts at the time of the incident, their roles in the event, their relationships with one another, and the sequence of activities before and after the incident,” the statement read.

Denpasar City Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Leonardo David Simatupang said police would handle the case professionally, transparently, objectively and based on evidence, and urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information.

“We will clearly uncover the sequence of events, including the roles of each party and the cause of the victim’s death,” he said.

“The legal process will be conducted professionally and in accordance with statutory regulations.”

Dougan’s friend David Coughtrie told 9News Perth the father’s death was “just devastating” .