Ezekiel Keleris sentenced to jail after terrifying Yamba rampage
New details about the bloody rampage which shook a North Coast community have emerged. See why jail was inevitable for this young offender.
Police & Courts
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A key player in the brutal Yamba rampage has been sentenced as shocking new details emerged outlining the teen’s violent assaults.
Police state Ezekiel Keleris, 19, and his two co-accused stormed through Yamba yelling “we own this town” before indiscriminately attacking members of the public just before 10pm on Saturday, September 24.
Keleris appeared by audio visual link at Grafton Local Court on Friday.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, four counts of malicious property damage, one count of affray, one count of using offensive weapon with intent to commit actual bodily harm and one count of escaping police custody.
The group’s first attack was on a man as he left a Mexican restaurant on Coldstream St.
Keleris coward punched the man without provocation, causing him to fall and strike his head on the ground, as seen on CCTV.
Keleris hit the man again after he slowly made his way back to his feet, the court heard.
Police state the trio started pummelling the man, kicking and punching him while he lay on the floor before friends and witnesses could step in.
Keleris then began throwing chairs outside the restaurant.
The violent rampage continued and anyone intervening became a target. A cafe owner attempted to calm the teens and they set their sights on him.
None of the victims were known to the attackers, police state.
The businessman attempted to flee but was chased down with a golf club and hit several times.
The man managed to retreat to his cafe, but Keleris smashed the front door with the golf club and showered glass over the terrified people sheltering inside.
Keleris reached through the glass and cut open his arm, spilling a pool of blood everywhere.
The group then targeted any onlooker, throwing the golf club before marching down the busy street and smashing up a car with the golf club, police state.
The group then spoke to a woman known to them in a car before a female patron at the Mexican restaurant tried to record the license plate.
Noticing this, Keleris’ co-accused kicked and punched the woman to the ground while he jeered and encouraged them, police facts state.
The woman’s phone was stomped on as she lay curled in a ball yelling desperately for help.
Several triple-000 calls were made and police eventually confronted Keleris with tasers, right before he hurled a stool through the window of Yamba Bait and Tackle.
Keleris tried to run, but was arrested shortly after.
Ms Crittenden spoke of the brutal violence, trauma and damage done to the small businesses.
“These unprovoked attacks on members of public on a Saturday evening going about their business are of utmost gravity” she said.
She told the court another coward punch victim suffered a chipped tooth, swelling and memory loss.
All three attackers were drunk and on illicit substances during the rampage, police state.
Ms Crittenden outlined desperate attempts community members made to take refuge from the onslaught before being attacked without reason while trying to assist innocent bystanders.
Keleris was on a conditional release order at the time of offending in relation to a driving with prohibited drug matter.
Ms Crittenden said Keleris expressed some remorse but justified his behaviour through alcohol and drug consumption.
“He minimised his wild and aggressive behaviour by his state,” she said.
She said Keleris acknowledged the shock and trauma the small coastal community suffered.
The court heard he had a poor relationship with his “unsupportive” family.
Ms Crittenden considered Keleris’ young age and the need for treatment, but said community safety was paramount.
Keleris was sentenced to a 12 months prison sentence, back dated to September 25.
He will be eligible for parole on March 24 next year.
The prosecution said local businesses would be seeking financial compensation for damages.
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