By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Eight men and boys have clashed in a violent all-in brawl including body-slams and a launched shopping trolley at a Fountain Gate shopping-centre bus stop, a court has heard.
One of the fighters Dau Awel, 20, pleaded guilty to affray and recklessly causing injury, but was spared conviction at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 22 May.
According to a police summary, Awel and five other young males rounded on a 36-year-old Narre Warren man, who had just allegedly beaten one of their associates to unconsciousness at the bus stop about 7pm on Saturday, 31 December.
The man had allegedly punched the victim’s head, picked him up and body-slammed him into the concrete ground and then knocked him unconscious with a left-hook punch.
The alleged assailant was then attacked with a flurry of kicks and punches by Awel and his five associates.
Awel, of Wyndham Vale, made full admissions to police about his role.
This included picking up a shopping trolley and using it to push the man backwards together with the trolley over a barrier into a garden bed.
Awel climbed on top of the barrier and then launched himself on top of the man under the trolley.
One of the group allegedly stomped on the man’s head through the trolley eight times.
The beaten man was taken by ambulance to Dandenong Hospital with cuts to his face and bruises.
He is expected to contest assault charges at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 6 June.
The original victim was assessed for concussion at Casey Hospital.
Defence lawyer Daniel Walsh said Awel had taken “pro-active steps” to rehabilitate from drug abuse, which peaked with an overdose last year.
At the time of the incident, Awel had had “nothing better to do than hang around with these people” and was drinking on a daily basis.
Mr Walsh argued against convicting Awel. It would thwart the accused’s bid for Australian citizenship, employment and to “move on with his life”, Mr Walsh said.
“He is a young man and his rehabilitation should be a focus.”
Magistrate Barry Schultz noted Awel didn’t initiate the brawl but “jumped into things that were certainly over-the-top”.
He sentenced Awel to a 12-month community corrections order, without conviction.
The order includes drug-and-alcohol treatment and testing, and up to 75 hours of unpaid work.
Meanwhile, a 22 year-old Narre Warren man and a 19-year-old Narre Warren South man will face a Dandenong Magistrates’ Court mention hearing over the affray, on 3 July.
