Random Grand Final day attack leaves man, 23, lucky to be alive

DETAILS have emerged of a terrifying unprovoked attack on Grand Final Day in Prahran, when a 23-year-old was left lucky to be alive after he was king hit.

A MAN is lucky to be alive after he was coward punched in a terrifying unprovoked attack on Grand Final day, it has emerged.

The 23-year-old man was standing at the corner of Malvern Rd and Bray St in Prahran about 10.15pm on September 29 when two young men approached him.

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One spat on him while taking swigs from a can of alcohol as the other walked behind the victim and punched him to the head, knocking him unconscious.

A witness called police while the two men fled, and the victim was rushed to hospital in a critical condition with a fractured skull and swelling of the brain.

He has since recovered and been released from hospital.

A man was attacked at the corner of Malvern Rd and Bray St in Prahran.

Acting Sergeant Mick Harkin said the attack was disgraceful, and police were hot on the trail of the offenders.

“It was an unprovoked verbal assault that escalated into a physical altercation,” Acting Sgt Harkin said.

“We have a zero tolerance to alcohol-fuelled violence.”

Mandatory 10-year prison sentences for one-punch offenders were introduced across Victoria in 2014.

The laws were introduced after several fatal one-punch attacks prompted a public outcry over the cowardly attacks.

In 2016, Patrick Cronin, 19, died after he was punched from behind at the Windy Mile pub in Diamond Creek.

But his attacker, Andrew Lee, avoided the 10-year minimum after agreeing to plead guilty to manslaughter.

He was sentenced late last year to eight years in jail, with a non-parole period of five years.

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