The Corso, Manly: Man ‘king hits’ three strangers in Sydney tourist hotspot

Three random strangers were ‘king hit’ by a man on an apparent drug affected rampage at one of Sydney’s tourist meccas. See what happened in court

The Corso, the pedestrian mall between Manly Wharf and the surf beach. Deep Cao attacked three random strangers in, or near, The Corso on February 10. (AAP Image - Julian Andrews).

A man viciously punched three random strangers — in the space of 25 minutes — at a popular Sydney tourist spot in what appeared to be a “drug affected” daylight rampage, Manly Court has been told.

Deep Cao, 39, of Manly, launched his lunchtime assaults on the three men in and around The Corso — the pedestrian mall between the ferry wharf and the beach at Manly — on Friday, February 10.

Two of the victims received “king hit” style blows to the face, the court heard on Wednesday.

Cao has pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault.

He has denied one count of affray.

The Corso, Manly, near where Deip Cao attacked three men in the space of 25 minutes. (AAP Image - Julian Andrews).

Cao, who has been in custody since his arrest, appeared on court via an audio video link.

In a police facts sheet tendered to court, police stated that Cao had been seen by witnesses walking around The Corso “acting in an agitated drug affected manner”.

Police alleged his behaviour was “causing fear and alarm to the general public”.

At 11.50am Cao sat next to a man who was sitting outside the Coles supermarket on The Corso and began talking to him and asking for a cigarette.

Cao then punched the man “with great force” in the left shoulder and shouted “I will get you C***” before walking east towards the beach.

The victim immediately reported the assault at Manly police station.

At 12.10pm Cao approached a man walking east on Market Ln, and punched him, without warning to the left side of the face, and kept walking. The victim went to the New Brighton Hotel to give police details.

Then at 12.15pm Cao approached a third man, walking east along The Corso, in an “aggressive manner” and “king hit” him in the face, police wrote in the facts sheet.

The blow caused the man to fall to the ground.

Deep Cao will be back in Manly court in April. (AAP IMAGE / MONIQUE HARMER)

He suffered cuts to his lip and nose and had to be helped by staff from the Hotel Steyne, who also assisted him to reach the police station to report the attack.

The court heard that police had CCTV footage of the assault near the Hotel Steyne.

Magistrate Robyn Denes ordered that an updated psychiatric report be conducted on Cao while he is on remand.

He will be back in manly court on April 4.