Lachlan Ralph faces Ballarat court for ‘appalling’ assault of driver in Delacombe

A Ballarat man repeatedly punched a driver in the face in an act of “appalling” violence because he was cut off on a road in Delacombe.

Lachlan Ralph bashed a man near the Cattle Yards Inn for cutting him off nearby.

A Ballarat man brutally bashed a driver for cutting him off on a busy road in Delacombe.

Lachlan Ralph, 26, faced Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to an assault on August 26, 2024.

The court heard Ralph was driving while unlicensed, with a co-accused as a passenger, on Latrobe St near the Cattle Yards Inn when he was cut off by a driver.

Ralph then cut him off and told him to “be in your own lane, you f---ing idiot, pull over”.

At the drive through bottle shop next to the Cattle Yards Inn, Ralph and his co-accused got out of their car and tried unsuccessfully to pull the victim from his vehicle.

As they went to leave, the victim approached their car.

Lachlan Ralph will return to court in February.

Ralph put his car into reverse, nearly running over the victim, and then assaulted him, repeatedly punching his face.

The court heard the co-accused then kicked, stomped on, and punched the victim’s head.

The pair then drove away.

When Ralph went to the police station, he told officers he had “felt threatened” but did not have an explanation for the assault.

Magistrate Guillaume Bailin called it “appalling violence”.

Ralph will be assessed for a community correction order and return to court on February 4.