Police Beat

Police Beat

Daylight assault

An 85-year old woman suffered serious facial injuries when she was sexually and physically assaulted at Southern Cross Station in the early afternoon of January 27.

Police allege a 64-year-old Bairnsdale man dragged the elderly woman into a disabled toilet at about 1.10pm. It is alleged he demanded cash, then bashed and sexually assaulted the victim before fleeing.

Tomahawk arrest

On December 29 police arrested a 45-year-old Croydon West man at South Wharf’s Hilton Hotel after witnesses reported seeing a bloodied man carry a tomahawk.

A 3AW listener called the station describing an angry man who had jumped out of a silver car at an intersection and proceeded to attack it with a tomahawk.

Police wearing bulletproof vests and helmets entered the Hilton Hotel and made the arrest, but the man was released the following day without charge pending further investigations.

Silly driver

A 23-year-old Glenroy man who performed a fishtail in front of police in Docklands on New Year’s Eve has had his car seized.

The man, who spun the rear wheels of his Holden Commodore at about 12.15am New Year’s Day, had two passengers in his car including a four-year-old girl. 

He has been interviewed for a number of driving offences.

No quick fix

More than four years after Aaron Dalli was viciously bashed outside Docklands’ Fix nightclub, County Court Judge James Montgomery has passed judgement on six of the 10 men accused of assault.

Three of the accused admitted to assaulting Mr Dalli, while the other three admitted to assaulting three other victims.

Two of the men Sinan Cekuc, 20 and Orhan Bekar pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury, assault and affray and were sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid community service, a $1000 fine and serve a six-month wholly suspended jail term.

Okan Yorudan, 23, also pleaded guilty to assault and affray and was ordered to serve a 12-month community-based order with 150 hours of unpaid community work and a six-month suspended jail sentence.

Yusuf Kilic, 24, Emrah Aslan, 24, and John Yussef, 23, pleaded guilty to charges of affray and assault and were sentenced to serve a 12-month community-based order with 1150 hours of unpaid community work and a $1000 fine.

Mr Dalli, who was 18 at the time of the attack, underwent brain surgery twice on the day following the attack.

Four more men are due to face a County Court trial this year in relation to the attack.
 

Ben Pappas case

The State Coroner is currently investigating the death of former world number two skateboarding champion Ben Pappas, whose body was found in Victoria Harbour almost four years ago.

The Coroner is also investigating the murder of Pappas’ ex-girlfriend Lynette Phillips, whose body was found eight days earlier weighed down in the Yarra at Abbotsford.

The skateboarder’s body was discovered in Victoria Harbour in March 2007.  He is suspected murdering Ms Phillips and a court spokeswperson said Ms Philips’ inquest would be heard first, with Pappas’ to follow. A directions hearing for Ms Phillips’ case has been set for February 10. 
 

Senior union officer charged

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union assistant state secretary John Setka has been fined $600 in the Federal Magistrates Court following an incident at the ANZ Docklands site in March 2008.

The senior union official threatened to “get” two employees of construction company Bovis Lend Lease when he deemed the site to be unsafe.

Magistrate Phillip Burchardt found that Mr Setka screamed at the construction manager and general foreman saying: “This job’s a f---ing disgrace and you’re going to f---ing kill someone. If you kill anyone on this job I’m going to quit my f---ing job and get you.”

When asked if that was a threat, Mr Setka replied: I’m not f---ing threating; I’m f---ing promising. I will get you and you (he said pointing at both employees).

Mr Setka was fined just under the maximum fine, which is $6600, but has since appealed the decision.

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