Injuries Linked To 'rabbit Punches' | The West Australian

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MenuHomeSearchSearch‌‌The West AustralianToday's PaperPlace an AdFriday, 2 January 2026AustraliaNewsWA NewsInjuries linked to 'rabbit punches'Christiana JonesThe West AustralianFri, 21 September 2012 5:24AM
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Corryn Rayney's neck injuries were consistent with her being subjected to an "arm bar hold" and also "rabbit punches" - blows banned in competitive sport but used in street fighting, an expert's report revealed yesterday.

Neuropathologist Victoria Fabian said it was possible damage to the 44-year-old's cervical spine was caused by an arm bar hold - a restraint from behind that saw a forearm used against the victim's lower front neck.

She referred to five other cases she had seen with similar injuries. In each case, the person had died within a short time. The cases had included a person subjected to a chokehold and a case of manual strangulation.

A report tendered to the court by forensic consultant John Hilton was yesterday made available to the media. The expert detailed how the injuries "could arise from direct compressive forces, or blows, but more likely from a combination of these, with perhaps direct blows towards the back of the neck of the nature of rabbit punches.

"The phenomenon of the rabbit punch is recognised as being dangerous to life and it is banned from conventional boxing because of this," he said in the report dated 2010. "However, it was taught in armed combat and is still used in forms of competitive (but probably illegal) street fighting." Professor Hilton also described brain swelling in Mrs Rayney, which he said was a response to a wide range of "brain insults", including hypoxia or a lack of oxygen to the brain from neck or chest compression.

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