Supreme Court: Shepparton’s Mageri Sari pleads guilty for involvement in violent Docklands attack

A court has heard a man involved in a sickening Docklands attack featuring weapons lacked a positive male influence while growing up.

Mageri Sari, formerly of Shepparton, will be sentenced next month after pleading guilty for his invovlement in a terrifying attack at Docklands last year.

A man who chased down his victim and unleashed a number of blows while accompanied by two men brandishing knives in a “terrifying” and unprovoked attack will learn his fate next month.

Mageri Sari, formerly of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to one count of intentionally causing injury after his group set upon another group of men near a Docklands park last year.

The court heard that Sari, then 19, and his associates — some of whom were wielding knives — attacked a group of men they had earlier seen outside Watermark Docklands.

About 4.30am on March 13, CCTV captured Sari and others corner the group between two vehicles on Bourke St before his victim attempted to back away.

His victim tripped over before Sari, and others, set upon him and repeatedly punched and kicked him.

Prosecutor Gregory Buchhorn said the victim ran away in fear of his life while Sari pursued him with another who was holding a knife.

Mr Buchhorn said the man was stabbed four times in the back during the “terrifying” attack and suffered lacerations to his arms and minor injuries to his knees and elbows.

Sari was not responsible for the stab wounds.

Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth was told of the “distressing” events following the attack where the victim “aggressively” approached police after recognising his attacker nearby only to be briefly arrested.

The court was told the group then left the scene in an Uber and travelled to a Richmond address.

Defence barrister Sharon Lacy said her client handed himself in to Werribee police station upon request from family amid commentary on social media after police released his image in connection to the attack.

Ms Lacy said Sari grew up in Shepparton and lacked a positive male influence as his mother raised him without the help of his father who lived nearby.

She said Sari was not a leading figure in the attack and could be described as a “follower” who was vulnerable to peer influence.

Justice Hollingworth will await a CCO assessment before making her judgement but said it was clear he needed to deal with his issues otherwise he would be in a “roundabout” with the justice system.

Sari has been held in pre-sentence custody for 515 days.

He is expected to be sentenced on September 6.