Former soldier and good Samaritan Ben Woolley did not think he’d survive alleged bashing

A former soldier who was allegedly bashed after intervening to help a girl in a park did not think he’d survive it.

Dad of three Ben Woolley, 44, was bashed by a gang of thugs on at Ron Andrews Park in Pakenham on January 2. Picture: Facebook

A Melbourne father and military veteran who was allegedly brutally bashed and left unconscious in a park thought he wouldn’t survive.

Dad of three Ben Woolley, 44, was allegedly set on when he went to help a young girl being confronted at Ron Andrews Park in Pakenham about 7.30pm on January 2.

But instead of de-escalating the situation when he tried to intervene, the group turned on Mr Woolley and allegedly started savagely kicking, punching and beating him with weapons, police allege.

At one stage one of the assailants also allegedly stomped on his head and hit him with an umbrella, according to police.

“They just came in with full force,” Mr Woolley told the Nine Network on Tuesday night.

“I didn’t think that I’d survive it.”

Dad of three Ben Woolley, 44, was allegedly bashed by a group at a Pakenham park on January 2.

His girlfriend Jessica Sherrie said she thought the worst.

“It was just so traumatic. I thought that he was going to die,” she told the Nine Network.

“In the ambulance he actually thought that he was leaving the battlefield. The paramedics were having to tell him ‘no’.”

The good Samaritan suffered severe bruising, broken nose, cuts, internal bleeding, cracked ribs and damaged teeth in the alleged assault.

Ms Sherrie said it was traumatic watching the incident involving her boyfriend, who had served in the Australian Army for more than a decade.

An 18-year-old woman has been charged over the attack.

“I rushed to him and he was completely unresponsive,” she said in a Facebook post.

“All I knew to do was pray for him to stay alive. He was breathing but with a gurgling sound.

“I was in shock and didn’t know what else to do until police arrived.”

An 18-year-old woman from Pakenham has been charged with intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury, affray and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

Despite what unfolded, Mr Woolley believes anyone in his shoes “would have done exactly the same thing” to help the girl.

Originally published as Former soldier and good Samaritan Ben Woolley did not think he’d survive alleged bashing