Little Malop and Ryrie St brawl leaves men in hospital, three arrested and released

Charges are likely following frenzied attacks in the city centre at the weekend. Police are investigating three alleged assaults.

Police were called to Lt Malop St about 11:30pm Saturday.

Police have released a man arrested after an alleged savage bashing on Little Malop St on Saturday night.

The man was one of three arrested following two alleged assaults on Little Malop Street and Ryrie St in quick succession about 11:30pm Saturday.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Melissa Seach said it was expected the men would be charged.

“Three men aged in their 30s, two from Armstrong Creek and one from Highton were interviewed and released,” Sergeant Seach said.

“They are expected to be charged on summons with affray. The investigation remains ongoing.”

The Geelong Advertiser has been told a 28-year-old Lovely Banks man and a Belmont man in his 60s were released from hospital following the Little Malop St and Ryrie St incidents.

Sgt Seach said police were also probing the circumstances of an alleged assault in a Moorabool St licensed venue on Sunday morning.

A night of CBD violence

Three men were arrested and another three hospitalised after three alleged assaults in four hours in Geelong’s CBD at the weekend.

A frenzied attack was unleashed on an unconscious man during a “full-on brawl” metres from packed night spots at the corner of Little Malop St and James St about 11:30pm Saturday, sources told the Addy.

The man allegedly responsible for that assault was behind another attack just minutes later with a witness praising the quick response of police.

Newcomb man Talison Thomson, who said he witnessed the Little Malop St brawl and intervened to break it up, said the attacker repeatedly punched the unconscious man on the ground.

“He was really laying into him; like proper split his head opened, he would have hit him nine or 10 times while he was already out. It was pretty rough,” Mr Thomson, who has worked in security, told the Addy.

“Straight to his head. He would have hit him about 10 times before I got him off him.

“This fella, the top of his right eyebrow, the side the dude was hitting, was like split. The inside of the mouth was all cut up... so he was dribbling a fair bit of blood.

“He was unconscious for about five minutes.”

Mr Thomson said police were on the scene minutes after the incident.

“The police were really quick, they rocked up three or four minutes after they were called. The ambulance was probably five, ten minutes after them.”

Geelong police use a network of CCTV cameras to monitor the CBD in real time.

A source with knowledge of the Lt Malop St incident said: “It was a full-on brawl that was in the street with multiple people laying into one particular bloke, unfortunately this one bloke copped the brunt of it and he ended being taken away to hospital.”

Victoria Police spokeswoman Kathryn Muffett said it was believed one man was behind the assault of two other men within minutes..

“It’s believed a male assaulted a man on Little Malop St just after 11.30pm, he was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries,” Ms Muffett said on Sunday morning.

“A short time later it’s believed the same offender has struck a second male on Ryrie St, that male was also taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

“The offenders are currently in custody being interviewed.”

Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said: “A man in his 20s was treated for facial injuries and taken in a stable condition to Geelong hospital.”

Police are also investigating an alleged assault at a licensed Moorabool St venue on Sunday morning.

Ms Muffett said: “It’s believed (a) man was struck just after 3.30pm. No one has been arrested at this stage.”

Of the Moorabool St incident Mr Mullen said: “A man in his 20s suffered head injuries and was taken to Geelong hospital in a stable condition.”

Ms Muffett said the exact circumstances of both incidents had not been determined.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Little Malop and Ryrie St brawl leaves men in hospital, three arrested and released