Mother of David Cassai continues to campaign on dangers of late-night violence

CATERINA Politi’s push for effective coward punch laws continues as she prepares for the birthday of her son she lost to an unprovoked attack.

Caterina Politi

CATERINA Politi isn’t about to turn her back on anti-violence campaign STOP. One Punch Can Kill.

Her only son David Cassai would have celebrated his 25th birthday on January 19, if he hadn’t been killed in an unprovoked attack by an 18-year-old stranger at Rye on New Year’s Eve, 2012.

RELATED: One-punch killer Dylan John Closter sentenced to six years jail Since losing David, Ms Politi from Templestowe has driven her sadness and pain into raising awareness of the dangers of late-night violence.

While the court battle has come to an end, there is still more campaigning to do.

Dylan Closter, now 20, pleaded guilty to the assault that killed David in August last year and was later sentenced to nine years and three months, with a non-parole period of six years.

Thomas Francis McCloskey-Sharp, 26, was also ­jailed for two years and three months in December, for his role in the brawl with David’s friends.

The campaign petitioned the State Government, which last year introduced a new Coward’s Punch Manslaughter law with a 10-year minimum sentence.

But Ms Politi says that under the new law, it could be argued that David’s death wasn’t caused by a “coward punch”.

“If David were to die now after the laws, the prosecution and the defence might say he knew they were ­attacking him,” Ms Politi said. “Labor would have introduced a death by ­assault law … to me that ­covers everything.

“Unfortunately someone else has to die for them to prove this new law.”

Ms Politi is also opposed to Community Corrections Orders, allowing offenders to serve sentences in the ­community under strict ­conditions, introduced by the Baillieu Government.

“To me it is totally irresponsible,” she said.

The family will celebrate David’s birthday on Saturday at Westerfolds Park, Templestowe.