Police say lack of resources leaves violent offenders on the streets as scooter assault victim calls for ‘broken’ system to be fixed

Police say a resourcing crisis is stopping them from tracking down criminals on outstanding warrants, with a grandfather assaulted this week labelling the justice system “broken”.

Mark Smedley, who was assaulted on Tuesday, has been left furious that his alleged attacker had been wanted on an outstanding warrant for almost a year before the incident. Picture: Brett Hartwig

A lack of resources is stopping police from tracking down people on outstanding warrants for violent offences, with a grandfather whose skull was fractured in a brutal unprovoked assault left furious that his alleged attacker was wanted for almost a year before the incident.

Mark Smedley was attacked at Christies Beach on Tuesday afternoon when he was approached by a group of people while stopped at the intersection of Roy Tce and Gulfview Rd about 4.40pm.

Mr Smedley, who was knocked unconscious and suffered a fractured skull in the assault, was allegedly hit over the head with a scooter after confronting a member of the group who had allegedly smashed his car window.

“My life flashed before my eyes,” Mr Smedley, 63, told The Advertiser.

“I thought I was going to die.

“It was just crazy.

“The doctor said you’ve dodged a bullet.”

Mark Smedley was left with a fractured skull after being allegedly attacked by a man with an almost year-old arrest warrant. Picture: Brett Hartwig

On Wednesday, the Christies Beach Magistrates Court heard Mr Smedley’s alleged attacker Andrew Kevin Gollan, 24, had been wanted on an outstanding warrant since March last year related to an alleged armed robbery at a Paralowie service station.

The court also heard Gollan had 121 prior criminal convictions at the time of the alleged assault.

A warrant for Gollan’s arrest was issued after he failed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on March 30 charged with committing theft using force after allegedly threatening a service station employee with a gun.

Police sources have told The Advertiser a lack of resources meant executing arrest warrants was not prioritised over day-to-day call outs.

“The key issue is the lack of people doing the job,” one officer said.

“You need the resources to start looking for these people.

“When you don’t have boots on the ground you can’t do it.”

One officer said police were “too busy doing response work” to follow up on warrants, even for serious offenders.

Andrew Kevin Gollan, 24, was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for almost a year before he allegedly attacked grandfather Mark Smedley, leaving him with a fractured skull.

Another officer said locating and arresting Gollan “should have been a priority”.

“I would have thought that on a charge of a robbery with a weapon it would be a priority.”

An SA Police spokeswoman said police “ensure all reasonable inquiries are conducted and take all reasonable steps to locate the warrant subject to ensure the execution of a warrant”.

“When a warrant is received from the court, the subject will be flagged on police systems as being wanted for the warrant and inquiries will be conducted at the subject’s last known address and any other address that police intelligence may identify,” she said.

“The matter of the stated individual being released into the community is a matter for the court as it was under their authorisation that he was released on bail prior to his next court appearance.”

Mr Smedley said it was “unbelievable” Gollan had been bailed for his previous charges.

“The system is broken,” Mr Smedley said.

“Something has got to change.”

Police sources say a lack of resourcing means executing arrest warrants was not prioritised over day-to-day call-outs. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

Gollan was charged with property damage, aggravated assault causing harm, disorderly behaviour and other offences related to the outstanding warrant.

He was also charged with two counts of assaulting an emergency worker after allegedly assaulting two police officers trying to arrest him.

The Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Wednesday heard one of the officers had suffered a broken nose, a fractured left knee in the incident at a beach near where Mr Smedley was attacked.

Mr Smedley said he had been stopped at the intersection “minding my own business” when he noticed a group of people approaching his car before he was attacked “within in a second”.

He said he remembered being struck twice with the scooter before he was knocked unconscious.

Mr Smedley said the “broken” system that allowed his alleged attacker to be released into the community needed to be fixed. Picture: Brett Hartwig

“What a nightmare,” Mr Smedley said.

Mr Smedley said he had been left so traumatised from the attack he was unsure when he would return to work as a bus driver.

“I thought I was gone,” he said.

“I thought I was going to die … once that scooter came through the window.”

Gollan was remanded in custody to face the Adelaide Magistrates Court later this year.

A 22-year-old Morphettville woman, who police allege is Gollan’s girlfriend, was arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour and hindering police.

She was bailed to appear in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court in February.

Mr Smedley said he considered himself lucky to walk away from the assault.

“It’s just sheer luck that you’re just reporting on a guy who just got worked over.

“As a society, we can’t afford to have these types of people roaming through the community.