Walton Shaw jailed for multiple violent CBD assaults

A man has been jailed after a random attack on innocent bystanders in the CBD with a hammer and homemade weapons.

A man who struck random innocent bystanders in the CBD with homemade weapons will remain in prison for at least a year.

Walton Sydney Shaw Jr was sentenced in the Christies Beach Magistrate Court earlier this month after attacking random people with hammers and cue balls.

The court heard on that May 16, 2022, Shaw seemingly “blacked out” as he attacked a man with a hammer, hitting him twice to the right side of the face.

The attack on Gouger St occured after Shaw witnessed a woman approach the victim and ask for money, which the victim declined.

Walton Shaw was jailed after hitting a man with a hammer in Topham Mall earlier this year.

Shaw then took it upon himself to attack the man with the hammer, causing lacerations to the cheek.

“Very lucky you didn't kill this man,” Magistrate Natalie Browne said in her sentencing remarks.

“This is a very serious assault, the community needs to feel safe and you should not take it upon yourself to punish someone else.”

Just over a year later, on July 9, an altercation ensued in Topham Mall just after midnight when a woman approached a man asking questions - but he failed to acknowledge her.

After witnessing the altercation, Shaw attacked the victim, who was unknown to him.

The court heard Shaw hit the victim with a hard object in the head, later to be discovered as an eightball wrapped up in a sock, causing a bloody wound.

The victim was taken to the hospital where he received stitches.

In a victim impact statement provided to the court, the victim said it caused a laceration to the right cheek, which needed to be glued.

“I work as a chef and it is necessary for me to taste the food but due to my injury I was unable to do so and required two weeks off of work,” the victim said.

“The incident caused me so much fear in my daily life, especially at night and I never want to go out.

“I was not able to sleep as usual and I felt so much stress.”

Shaw was arrested and charged with a number of counts including aggravated assault causing harm.

The police prosecutor submitted to the court that despite Shaw living on the street, it was not an excuse to brandish the items as he seems fit.

“It’s an escalation, I can see he was homeless but attacking members of the public is not acceptable and a term of imprisonment is absolutely warranted in this manner,” the police prosecutor said.

Magistrate Natalie Browne sentenced Shaw to a total of one year and four days imprisonment with a non-parole period of six months.