Merwan Hejazi jailed after bashing neighbour during ice fuelled attack in Lalor
A drug addict, who brutally bashed his neighbour during an ice-fuelled psychosis, while believing voices in his head told him to do it, has been jailed.
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UPDATED: A man who brutally bashed his neighbour while in an ice fuelled psychosis will remain behind bars.
Merwan Hejazi, 40, was sentenced at the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on January 20, after pleading guilty to viciously assaulting his neighbour on September 11, 2019.
Magistrate Ian Alger convicted and sentenced Hejazi to six months’ jail for the assault and for contravening a community corrections order.
Hejazi was also ordered to complete a 12-month community corrections order upon his release.
Magistrate Alger said 130 days of pre-sentence detention would be counted as time served — meaning Hejazi could be freed in just over two months.
Last week police Senior Constable Jean-Philippe Britt told the court Hejazi was living with his mother in Lalor and believed people were “trying to control his thoughts” when he entered his neighbour’s backyard and attempted to break into their home at 8.40am.
The victim, a young man who lived with his mother and who had known Hejazi for about 20 years, heard suspicious noises and opened the back door to investigate, the court heard.
Sen-Constable Britt said Hejazi punched the victim to the head a number of times before fleeing.
The victim was taken to the Northern Hospital by ambulance where he received treatment for his injuries, including a cut to his head and bruises.
Hejazi’s defence lawyer, Lauren Tye of Chester Metcalfe & Co, told the court her client smoked methamphetamine for two days leading up to the attack, had not slept, and believed voices in his head were telling him to attack his neighbour.
Ms Tye also told the court Hejazi had abused drugs from the age of 14, and his drug use resulted in intense hallucinations that caused him to believe others were “trying to control his thoughts”.
She said Hejazi’s drug fuelled psychosis had promoted his mother and sister to call the CAT team in the past in fear of his behaviour.
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Ms Tye said Hejazi had expressed remorse for the attack and was “sorry” for the pain he had inflicted.
She said the neighbour and his family had previously had a “good relationship” with Hejazi and his family.
“The family grew up next door to these neighbours and they are obviously horrified by the actions of their son,” Ms Tye said.