Young man accused of attacking, robbing 77-year-old after night at the pub
An Illawarra man has faced court over allegations he punched and robbed an elderly man after a night out at a Wollongong pub.
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An Illawarra man has been refused bail, after allegedly attacking an elderly man outside a Warrawong pub and leaving him with serious wounds to his face and head.
Warrawong man Tyler Pewhairangi, 23, was charged with aggravated robbery and use violence cause wounding/grievous bodily harm, after police allege he punched a 77-year-old man in the head several times, and robbed him of $120 after a night at the pub last month.
The 23-year-old was refused bail by Magistrate Michael Stoddart on Monday, who noted that if convicted, Pewhairangi could be facing a maximum of 25 years behind bars. .
In documents tendered to the court, police allege Pewhairangi spent the evening of December 21 at Warrawong’s Open Hearth Hotel, where he played poker machines until the pub closed just after 1am.
Police allege the 77-year-old man left the hotel around 1.13am, with Pewhairangi following him out just seconds later.
After turning on to Cowper Street, police allege in court documents that the elderly man realised he was lost, and asked Pewhairangi for directions to Cringila.
Police allege the pair walked together, before Pewhairangi pushed the man through a gated driveway and punched him in the left side of the face, allegedly causing him to fall to the ground.
In the documents, police allege Pewhairangi demanded the man hand over his money, before continuing to punch him in the head and on the left side of his face. It’s then alleged he reached into the man’s pockets and pulled out $120 cash before taking off.
The elderly man remained on the ground bleeding and unable to hear, due to his hearing aids being lost in the alleged scuffle, for sometime before trying to walk home.
A local taxi driver recognised the man and drove him home, before his son picked him up and took him to Wollongong Hospital.
The man received several stitches before police attended, seizing the elderly man’s clothes for forensic testing.
As part of the investigation, police returned to the Open Hearth Hotel, where it’s alleged employees at the club identified Pewhairangi, telling detectives he was a regular customer.
CCTV was obtained, which police allege shows the accused at the pub before the alleged attack.
Pewhairangi was arrested on January 10, and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station, where police allege he admitted to walking home with the elderly man and getting frustrated with him, but denied punching and robbing him. During his appearance at court on Monday, Pewhairangi’s lawyer told the court an altercation had occurred on the morning of December 21, after his client told the alleged victim to stop following him.
“He told him to stop,” he said. “My client then shoved the man and they both fell over. He denies the allegations.”
Despite offering a bail surety of close to $6000, Magistrate Stoddart refused Pewhairangi’s application for bail, noting the strength of the prosecution case and seriousness of the alleged crimes.
Pewhairangi has not yet entered a plea to the charge and will remain behind bars until his next court appearance in March.