Geelong locals targeting victims with coward punch assaults
A Geelong man who punched a Bloom Nightclub patron is one of many residents who have been busted for launching a cowardly attack on unsuspecting victims. See the full list.
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A judge has lashed out at coward punchers saying “they think they are Rambo” after a series of one-punch attacks in Geelong streets.
The call comes as police issued a stern warning to wannabe troublemakers saying they would crack down on unacceptable behaviour this Christmas.
At least eight people have faced Geelong courts in the past three years over the cowardly acts.
Statistically, only a quarter of perpetrators are convicted under the state’s one-punch legislation, of which 15 per cent copped a murder charge and just over 60 per cent were sentenced on manslaughter.
For those facing manslaughter, they spent an average of seven years behind bars.
Murderers were sent away for about 18 years.
When sentencing Corio man Aiden Pywell for the vicious assault of a security guard outside a CBD McDonald’s, Magistrate John Bentley said “people die of this behaviour all the time”.
“(Perpetrators are) out there with mates, too much to drink, get a bit mouthy and they think they’re Rambo and they go out and hit someone. Before you know it, (the victim) hits the deck and they are facing a murder charge,” Mr Bentley said.
During the sentence of Bloom Nightclub attacker Apai Ali for the bloody one-punch assault of a patron, Mr Bentley said the community “does not accept this kind of violence in public”.
“It is well-known that one-punch kills and it is sheer luck that this didn’t happen on this occasion,” Mr Bentley said.
Most offences happened in public spots.
Police have issued a stern warning ahead of the Christmas season.
Geelong-based superintendent Peter Nicholls cautioned those heading out “to cause trouble” to think twice.
“Our message to these people is simple – don’t bother as you will be arrested, placed before the courts and face serious repercussions for your actions,” he said.
Teams of police will continue their patrols of Geelong’s nightclubs each weekend to target anti-social behaviour and public disorder.
“While we’ll play our part in ensuring everyone enjoys the end of 2022 safely, we are also imploring the entire community to look after one another while enjoying a drink so everyone gets home safe,” Superintendent Nicholls said.
Here are some Geelong’s convicted one-punch attackers who faced court:
Apai Ali
A 23-year-old man who left a nightclub patron bloodied and broken after a coward punch just four days after a court appearance was banned from entering the city of Geelong earlier this year.
Apai Ali pleaded guilty at the Geelong Magistrates Court in March on charges of recklessly causing injury, cannabis possession, and intentionally damaging property.
He was charged with assaulting a man at Bloom nightclub in the early hours of December 11. He left the victim with a broken nose, a fractured cheekbone and nerve damage to his lips and cheek.
Ali had been walking in front of the victim at the nightclub when he turned and punched him.
The court heard the victim is “likely to suffer the impacts of this offending for some time to come”.
Aiden Pywell
A drunk Corio man punched a security guard to the side of his head with a closed fist because he did not like “being called names”, a court heard in June this year.
Aiden Pywell, 20, pleaded guilty to one charge of recklessly causing injury at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court.
He was drinking at a McDonald’s in the Geelong CBD when a security guard asked him and some friends to clear the area.
Pywell punched the man to the side of the head six times. On the last strike, the security guard fell back.
Magistrate John Bentley asked Pywell if he had heard of a one-punch attack and said people “die because of this behaviour”.
Cody Langridge
A Geelong sex offender unleashed his rage on a DoorDash delivery driver in a cowardly attack for “taking too long”.
Cody Langridge, of no fixed address, charged at the driver and struck his face from behind with a closed fist in August 2021.
The 24-year-old man was verbally aggressive towards the victim when he arrived later than expected with his food.
A court heard the driver, who felt threatened by Langridge, was unprepared for the attack as he had turned to walk away.
Jamal Thorpe
A Thomson man locked a woman inside his unit and punched her to the head when she tried to end their relationship late last year.
In September this year, Jamal Thorpe pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court to the unlawful assault.
Thorpe let the woman into his unit so she could collect her belongings but locked the door behind her and begged for her to stay and talk about their relationship.
When she told him she was not interested, he grabbed her.
Later, when she told him she “did not feel safe”, Thorpe punched her to the head twice with a closed fist.
Adam McGrath
A stalwart of a Bellarine cricket club who launched a sickening one-punch attack on a teammate narrowly avoided a lengthy jail term.
Adam McGrath was embroiled in a heated argument over player selections at Portarlington Cricket Club when he landed a savage blow to the head of a senior partner.
The attack resulted in the victim being knocked out.
The County Court was told in December 2021 that McGrath – a premiership-winning captain and former president – experienced a significant fall from grace since the unprovoked attack in 2020.
Court documents reveal McGrath and his victim had been drinking alcohol when a heated discussion evolved into an argument.
The injured man sought medical attention three days later and was diagnosed with mild post-concussion syndrome.
Byron Kelly
An Armstrong Creek father-of-two assaulted a man who was on a tinder date with his ex-wife, a court heard in July this year.
Byron Kelly appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to the unlawful assault just a few months earlier.
The court heard the victim attended Kelly’s ex-wife’s home in Armstrong Creek in March and was having drinks when Kelly was called over to drop off a top that his young child had lost.
The victim was standing in the street when Kelly approached him and the two had a confrontation about his family.
As the victim attempted to get into his car, Kelly sucker punched him in the back of the head and yelled, “what are you going to do?”.
Scott Thomas
A man was sent to jail in March 2020 for knocking a Geelong city worker unconscious in a one-punch attack along Moorabool St.
Scott Thomas, 34, who pleaded guilty, assaulted the victim while the man was working towards his workplace at the CBD Telstra store.
The Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard the victim had just exited the 7-Eleven when Thomas punched him to the head.
The man fell to the ground and temporarily lost consciousness.
In a victim impact statement, the man said he had lost trust in people and was forced to take time off work.
Leonard Betrayhani
A thug who left a pensioner with brain damage after a one-punch attack in Apollo Bay was put away for even longer following a failed appeal in June 2019.
Three judges with the Court of Appeal ruled an original four-year sentence for Leonard Betrayhani was “wholly outside” the appropriate range and locked him up for a minimum of five years.
In August 2016, Betrayhani knocked out Steve Morrow, 66, with a vicious blow to the head in an unprovoked attack outside the Great Ocean Road’s Brewhouse.
The elderly man was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, but he was left with long-term and “catastrophic” injuries.
The grandfather suffers from permanent cognitive impairment and now relies on his son for all domestic tasks.
Richard Vincec
An Ocean Grove man was jailed a few years ago over a single punch outside a Melbourne bar that killed a 22-year-old man.
Richard Vincec pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Jaiden Walker outside Cherry Bar in Melbourne’s ACDC Lane in May of 2017.
The Court of Appeal heard Vincec became angry with Mr Walker after he refused to shake his hand outside the bar.
After a few seconds of pushing and shoving, one of Vincec’s friends tried to hold him back in a bear hug as Mr Walker’s friend, a woman who had been kissing Vincec earlier that night, stood between them.
But Vincec managed to punch Mr Walker, who fell to the ground and fractured his skill.
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