Judge says Dane Corbet revelled in mimicking an American gangster during assault

A victim was repeatedly kicked and punched by violent group who threatened to burn down his factory and kill his family in an extortion attempt.

Two men who assaulted a man in his workplace and demanded he pay an $80,000 debt or they would burn his business to the ground have avoided jail time.

Both bricklayer Dane Corbet, 35, and qualified butcher and greyhound trainer Engin Gemci, 50, appeared in the Melbourne County Court on Friday to be sentenced by Judge Scott Johns.

The court heard Corbet flew to Melbourne from his home town of Perth on September 12, 2019 with the intention of tracking down his victim and demanding he repay a substantial debt.

After searching various premises in attempts to find the victim, Judge Johns said the group found him working at a mechanic’s workshop in Rowville – they forced their way inside and found the victim on the stairs.

The court heard he extended his hand to Corbet, recognising him as someone he was friends with. But Corbet grabbed him, pulled him closer and struck him to the back of the head before punching him in the face, causing him to fall down the stairs.

The co-offenders stood over the victim, kicking him as he cowered on the floor.

Gemci held and controlled him by the hair as the assault continued.

Once he was allowed to stand, Corbet told him he was owed $80,000 — including money he had lost after investing in an unsuccessful trading scheme — and warned him against running away as the men he was with were “bikies”.

At this point Gemci approached and assaulted the victim again, splitting his lip open, before Corbet repeated his demand and threatened to burn down the victim’s factory and kill his family if he didn’t, before he was punched in the eye.

The victim was hospitalised for several days and required plastic surgery on his lip and was left with impaired vision.

Judge Johns condemned the assault, which lasted for approximately half an hour, as “cowardly” and “lawless” .

He nominated Corbet as the “author of what occurred”, stating he seemed to “revel in American gangster mimicry”.

“You had the financial grievance and enlisted others to threaten and assault him,” the judge said.

“You wanted him to suffer fear so he came up with the sum.

“This was a despicable and shameful way of pursuing your financial grievance.”

He described Gemci’s behaviour as violent and aggressive behaviour that seemed to stem from a desire to impress Corbett at a time he was particularly vulnerable due to financial pressures and a marriage breakdown, prompting increased use of illicit ‘party drugs’.

Despite the seriousness of the offending, he concluded neither would be taken into custody.

Judge Johns said Gemci had served almost nine months on remand before he was bailed and ordered this be reckoned as time served, to be served in combination with an 18-month community corrections order to include 70 hours of unpaid community work and drug treatment.

Corbet was sentenced to a community corrections order to last for two and a half years with a requirement to complete 125 hours of community work.