Disability pensioner Trevor Dunmall “didn’t notice anything odd” as he pulled into the underground carpark at Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre and began walking to the lift on Sunday 7 June.
Minutes later he was “covered in blood” after a thug repeatedly punched the helpless 56-year-old in front of shocked onlookers about 2.30pm.
His daughter Rebecca Dunmall said the man had asked her father for the time and he reached for his phone in his mobility trolley.
“The guy’s obviously noticed dad’s wallet and phone in there and has sucker-punched from behind,” she said.
The man who was aged in his 20s “kept laying in the punches” – as her father, who has a serious heart condition, tried to ward off the attacker.
“This guy has literally attacked dad out of nowhere,” she said.
“(He was) trying to stop him from grabbing the trolley as well as trying to hold onto him for as long as he possibly could without further injury,” Ms Dunmall said.
Witnesses raised the alarm with security who had called police – but the man ran from the scene empty handed.
Police conducted a patrol of the area shortly after but were unable to find him.
Paramedics arrived within minutes and took Mr Dunmall to Frankston Hospital in a stable condition with upper body injuries.
“They ran all scans and everything to ensure there wasn’t bleeding on the brain,” Ms Dunmall said, adding he was luckily “cleared of everything”.
“It was just some localised bruising and swelling where the first sucker-punch hit him and a small laceration just above the eye that they had to glue,” she said, adding it was “general soreness more than anything.
Ms Dunmall said by sharing her father’s story she hoped to not only call-out the behaviour of the attacker but to warn others.
“Our main concern is if that had been somebody who was 75-80 they wouldn’t have stood a chance, it would’ve been a lot worse,” she said.
“He is a coward; to try and take on someone who looks like a soft target it’s just downright disgusting.”
In a statement, a Victoria Police spokesperson said: “The unknown man spoke to the victim briefly before assaulting him and attempting to take his bag.”
The man is described as caucasion, about 175cm tall, with a beard and “bushy” dark eyebrows, and was wearing a black Echo hoodie with a khaki baseball cap – with the hoodie worn over the top of the cap.
Police are investigating. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
