By Mitchell Clarke
A GoFundMe page has been launched for a “hero” dad who was savagely assaulted with a tomahawk after rushing to the aid of his distressed neighbour in Cranbourne North.
Russell Irwin, 41, heard his terrified neighbour’s screams for help after a group of three armed men broke into her Lindenow Court property just after 7pm on Monday night, 1 February.
Without hesitation, the single father of three children, aged eight, nine and 13, jumped into action, launching over his fence and approaching the armed thugs, who had just ransacked a bedroom.
Police say one of the thugs used a weapon to strike Mr Irwin on the head before the group, believed to be armed with a tomahawk, rifle and baseball bat, fled on foot.
The occupants of the house, who are understood to have known the offenders, were not injured.
A bloodied and bruised Mr Irwin suffered a fractured skull, seven lacerations to the head, a puncture wound to the back of his thigh and cuts and bruises on his back.
Mr Irwin’s cousin, Bree Martin, told Star News he managed to climb back over the fence before attempting to stop the offenders.
“One of the offenders pulled out a rifle and threatened him with that,” she said.
“At this point Russell’s blood was boiling. He’d just gone from fighting two of the attackers and had tried to rip their balaclavas off so he could see them before he was struck by the third.
“I know if they didn’t have weapons, they wouldn’t have been able to hurt him like that. He wouldn’t have let them and instead they’d be running away from him.”
She said Mr Irwin was extremely lucky to walk away with non-life threatening injuries.
“Someone’s life could’ve ended. He was very, very lucky. If it wasn’t for his size and build, if it was a smaller male, it could have ended differently,” she explained.
“Crime in this area is just out of control. You see so much of it happening and you think it’ll never happen to someone you know, so when it does, it’s shocking. As a family we all look after each other and we’re very close.”
Ms Martin said the incident had highlighted the kind of man her cousin is.
“Russell would rather cop the blow instead of a woman. He wouldn’t look at it like he’s a hero,” she said.
“I’ve always looked up to my cousins. If I’ve ever been in trouble, I’m the first to ring my cousins and they’re always there. They would literally do anything for anyone.”
Mr Irwin’s other cousin, Kara, said he had shown “unsung bravery and willingness to sacrifice himself in order to save another”.
“There is not enough men in this world like him, those whose first instinct is to protect his fellow man,” she said.
“This man has not voluntarily signed up and vowed to protect others like the police, a soldier, a firefighter. This man is a rarity in today’s society and if this world was filled with men like him, what a beautiful world it would be.”
Mr Irwin, who is a boilermaker, is expected to be out of work for some time. Money raised from the GoFundMe will go towards medical bills and everyday expenses.
In just under 24 hours, more than $6000 had been raised.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
