By Brendan Rees
A boy who was punched and robbed of his new jacket at a Cranbourne bus stop has had a stroke of good fortune, bringing a smile to his face.
The 14-year-old was left shaken after the incident unfolded at the Lyall Street bus stop, near Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre, at 5.30pm on Monday 8 June.
The boy was punched in the face by three youths described of Sudanese appearance who snatched his iPhone as well as his brand new jacket that he had just purchased from a Kathmandu store, an item he had been saving for the past two years.
When the staff at Fountain Gate’s Kathmandu store heard about the boy’s terrifying ordeal they knew they had to help and gifted him with a brand new Kathmandu jacket and beanie to “brighten his winter”.
“When we heard this story and that he had saved for months to purchase one of our jackets, our heart went out to him,” staff said.
The boy’s father, who asked not to be named, said his son “loved” the jacket and was overwhelmed by the store’s generosity.
Meanwhile, the father said police had attended their home and returned the stolen jacket and phone.
“The phone’s been smashed so I’m going to try and see if Apple can fix it,” he said, adding three youths of African appearance had taken a selfie and saved the photo to the wallpaper of the phone’s home screen, whereby one was allegedly wearing the stolen jacket.
He said he had contacted Telstra regarding the iPhone, which was not insured, and they “basically said they can’t help or they won’t help”.
He said he would offer the new jacket for free on Facebook for other young victims who have been attacked at the bus stop.
“It’s ridiculous. There’s been about four incidents since my son was in the same place,” he said.
According to the father, police said they had arrested three youths in relation to the robbery involving his son, however, they had been released on bail.
“This is getting out of hand,” he said. “Police have done their job, it’s just the court system that let them off.”
Last month Casey Council said the Lyall Street interchange was part of a larger redevelopment of Cranbourne township and relevant community safety concerns, including whether CCTV cameras were appropriate for this location.
Victoria Police have been contacted for comment.
