Philip John Iskra to be sentenced for bashing and robbing sex worker Amber Fisher’s client

A man was waiting with a knife to bash and rob a customer who owed his sex worker friend $700 for unpaid services, a court has heard.

A man who bashed and robbed a client who owed his sex worker friend money said he did so out of loyalty to her.

Philip John Iskra, 59, knew of Amber Fisher’s tragic backstory when he took vigilante action to retrieve the $700 promised to her for services.

The victim attended a Fulham property in July 2022 to meet Fisher, and was met by Iskra holding a knife.

The court heard Iskra asked the victim for money before punching him when he said he didn’t have it.

Iskra also stole the victim’s phone and keys and told him he’d get it back when he gave them the money.

Philip Iskra bashed and robbed a man who owed his sex worker friend money. Photo: File

Iskra, of Ridleyton, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery.

Paul Charman, for Iskra, told the court his client never intended to use the knife and the stolen items were “simply a bond” for getting the money.

“My client instructs me that he’d simply given the co-accused a place to stay,” he said.

“It was an overreaction to what he thought was fairly appalling behaviour by this man to try to come back and ‘I’ll claim more services’ from the very person he failed to pay.”

Mr Charman said Iskra’s actions were out of loyalty to Fisher but he regretted the way he went about it.

“The co-accused was really struggling in life. Really struggling. And for someone to not to pay the $700 – it’s not as if she wished to be doing what she was doing,” Mr Charman said.

“He was aware of her backstory.”

During Fisher’s sentencing in May, the court heard she was the victim of a horrific crime when she was abducted while pregnant at 18 and turned to drugs as a result.

Fisher then found out her abductor had been released after 10 years and was living in the same town as her and returned to drugs after being drug free for a short period.

Fisher, who pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery, was jailed for one year and six months, with a non-parole period of seven months.

The sentence was backdated to September 8.

Iskra will be sentenced later this month.