Tafadzwa Mhindurwa, 23, charged over allegedly vicious Bendigo V/line train attack

An accused meth-fuelled thug allegedly assaulted two people with such ferocity during “unprovoked” and “prolonged” attacks on a Bendigo train that he was arrested covered in blood.

Police allege Tafadzwa Mhindurwa brutally bashed a man on a V/Line train in Bendigo. Picture: Supplied

An accused meth-fuelled thug allegedly assaulted a person with such ferocity during “unprovoked” and “prolonged” attacks on a Bendigo train that he was arrested covered in his alleged victim’s blood.

Tafadzwa Mhindurwa, 23, applied for bail at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court following the allegedly brutal assault of two men in November last year.

The court heard Mhindurwa followed a couple onto the V/line to Melbourne at Bendigo station where he allegedly began to harass them, asking “aggressively” if the male victim was “Catholic”.

Police allege Tafadzwa Mhindurwa viciously and randomly attacked a man on a Bendigo train.

When the couple tried to leave and seek the aid of the conductor, Mhindurwa asked the man if his glasses were prescription before allegedly viciously punching him in the face, and beginning a “prolonged” and “unprovoked” beating of the man.

The man’s partner screamed and begged Mhindurwa to stop, swatting at him with her umbrella.

The man fled into a train toilet, and police allege Mhindurwa chased him and banged on the door while screaming at the victim.

Mhindurwa then allegedly fled the train at Kangaroo Flat station, fleeing along Station St, where he allegedly randomly assaulted a man with an intellectual disability – breaking his nose and leaving him with “significant bleeding”.

Senior Constable Jack Lacey and Senior Constable Todd arrived at the scene and arrested the accused who was allegedly armed with a large metal pole.

Tafadzwa Mhindurwa allegedly attacked two people.

Defence lawyer Daniel Thompson conceded it was “quite serious” alleged offending, but argued Mhindurwa should be released to live with his mother in California Gully on therapeutic CISP bail to help him get support to improve his mental health prior to sentencing.

Police opposed the bail application with Senior Constable Lacey telling the court Mhindurwa “is certain to continue committing … completely unprovoked and prolonged attacks on innocent members of the community”.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Bradford told the court Mhindurwa’s alleged assaults were “devastating” to his alleged victims, made worse by the fact the accused was on appeal bail at the time on similar charges that he was jailed for, serving his sentence while on remand for the charges before the court.

The victim who was left bloodied and bruised from the train assault didn’t go home to his kids because he didn’t want to traumatise them with his disfigured appearance.

Senior Constable Lacey said Mhindurwa’s alleged victims were left terrified at the prospect of the accused thug free in the community.

The court heard Mhindurwa was a heavy drug user, especially methamphetamine, which had contributed to his diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Police said Mhindurwa needed mental health treatment, but he refused to comply with support services while in the community.

The court heard Mhindurwa had tried to blame health services for the alleged violent attack, claiming he had not been medicated, but police later confirmed he had been medicated and was lying.

Magistrate Russell Kelly refused Mhindurwa’s bail application, finding the accused was an unacceptable risk of endangering members of the public if he was released.