‘Gentle old soul’ brutally bashed in St Kilda assault
A beloved local man was left “covered in blood” after a violent early-morning attack outside his St Kilda home. The brave 73-year-old man tried to ward off his attackers before the violence escalated.
Inner South
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A brutal early morning attack in a St Kilda street has ended with an elderly man being kicked while crumpled on the ground as he can barely protect himself.
The Leader understands the incident, which happened about 8am on Friday morning in Balluk Willam Court, started when two young men attempted to take something from the bike of the 73-year-old man’s son.
The elderly man, who is wielding a golf club and cricket bat as he tries to defend himself, falls to the ground when one of the younger men throws what appears to be a stake at him.
The sharp end of the stake appears to miss the man’s head by centimetres, but strikes him with enough force to knock him over.
One of the young bike riders starts kicking the man while he is crumpled on the ground.
In the first part of the video one of the younger men throws a rubbish bin at the 73-year-old man before coming at him again.
He throws his bike helmet at the man’s head which narrowly misses.
When the older man swipes his cricket bat at one of the bike riders and misses, they can be heard taunting him.
St Kilda resident Marion Robinson said she was walking past moments after the incident and stopped to help the injured man, whose face was “covered in blood”.
“It was pretty horrific, I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said.
“The left side of his head had skin hanging off it and there was a large gash on the other side.
“I just got some towels and wet them and stayed with him until the paramedics arrived.”
Ms Robinson said the man, Simon, was known around the community and “didn’t have a bad bone in his body”.
“There are always two sides to every story but to me there was just an old man who needed help and I’m surprised more people didn’t stop to offer it,” she said.
“It was quite a horrendous scene and he’s really a gentle old soul.”
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It is understood the older man lives in a housing estate where the incident took place.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Belinda Batty said two men — a Pakenham Upper man, 44, and 35-year-old — had been charged with assault related offences including intentionally cause injury.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed the man was taken to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition.