Thugs viciously bash innocent man, mistake him for local dealer

A man has been left with impaired vision in one eye and a fractured skull after he was horrifically assaulted in a case of mistaken identity.

An innocent man who endured a “horrific” home invasion assault has been left with impaired vision after his assailants, targeting a local drug trafficker, got the wrong house.

The victim, 50-year-old Robert, was home alone at his unit in Melbourne’s southeast on June 15, 2022.

At around 1am he heard glass breaking as three male intruders, aged in their teens to mid-20s, forced their way through the rear door of his Mt Dandenong Rd home in Ringwood East.

Dressed all in black with their faces covered, the men approached the victim and demanded access to his safe, with one carrying what has been described as a single barrel firearm, which had been tucked in his shoe.

The three men then violently and repeatedly assaulted Robert, stomping on his head, leaving him with a broken arm, fractured skull and impaired vision in one eye.

Police believe the intended target, a drug trafficker, lived ‘nearby’ in a ‘similar’ dwelling. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Brendan Beckett

The victim suffered serious injuries, including fractures to his skull and ribs, a broken arm, damaged vision in his left eye, as well as bruising and swelling to his face and body.

After searching the unit, the three men allegedly stole a mobile phone, wallet and a safe containing personal documents and memorabilia “that wasn’t of any real value to anyone other than the victim”.

They then fled the scene in what police believe was a grey or black sedan – the whole incident lasting only five minutes.

“We believe there was a drug trafficker that was living in the area who was the intended target of this,” Detective Sergeant Hannah Thompson said on Friday.

“We’ve done all the background checks on the victim (and) we don’t believe he’s involved in anything untoward.

“(The intended target) lives very nearby, the premises are very similar in type.”

Police say the 50-year-old was left 'traumatised and severely injured'. Picture: Victoria Police

The victim suffered fractures to the skull and ribs, a broken arm, damaged vision in his left eye, as well as bruising and swelling to his face and body. Picture: Victoria Police.

The victim had “no idea what was going on” and has been deeply traumatised by the assault, having since moved back in with his mother and putting his home up for sale.

It took investigators almost 10 months to pinpoint the real target of the “horrific” assault who despite having spoken with police, “hasn’t been exactly helpful”.

“We are currently in the process of systematically working our way through a list of people potentially connected to the incident,” Sergeant Thompson said.

“Importantly, we now have a motive, an intended target and an alleged getaway car, which has opened a number of active lines of enquiry.

“My message to anyone involved is this isn’t going away – hand yourself into police before we come knocking.

“This was a scary incident … and it could happen to anyone.”

Police have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers.

Originally published as Thugs viciously bash innocent man, mistake him for local dealer