Cold-blooded cowards: Melbourne’s worst one-punch attackers revealed
From cold-blooded killings to dancefloor deckings and the striking of strangers, Melbourne has been rocked by stories sparked by coward king-hitters. Here’s a list of some of our worst one-punch thugs.
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They’re the cold-blooded cowards at the centre of stories that sent stomachs churning.
Thugs that left their victims on the pavement — some never to open their eyes again — with one catastrophic swing of the arm.
The tireless efforts of king hit campaigners have seen boxing great Danny Green and one-punch victim David Cassai’s mother Caterina plead for people to stop and think before delivering a fatal blow.
But the message never got through to these brazen brutes.
Here are some of Melbourne’s worst one-punch cowards.
BENJAMIN SOSOLI
Power-tripping UFC fighter Ben Solosi’s victim was lucky to survive after his jaw was shattered at Jackson’s Lounge Bar in Toorak.
Sosoli was working as a responsible service of alcohol officer at the bar when victim Deang Aguek was asked to leave the line on September 8 last year.
But when Aguek made a desperate dash to get through the door, Sosoli grabbed Mr Aguek and dragged him backwards.
The pair scuffled and Sosoli — a professional fighter well-trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — king-hit Mr Aguek square in the jaw.
A battered Mr Aguek was transferred to Geelong Hospital where he received oral and facial surgery to repair severe injuries including a fractured jaw.
Sosoli, 30, pleaded guilty in the County Court on September 17 to recklessly causing serious injury.
RYAN WELLS
The sickening video of Ryan Wells king-hitting a helpless stranger on the street would be hard for most Melburnians to forget.
The gutless thug had been binge drinking with friends at the Grand Hotel Frankston and was walking along Nepean Hwy after leaving the venue on July 26, 2018.
As Wells and his smug posse passed an oncoming stranger, he struck him with his elbow and laughed as the man fell to the ground, suffering facial injuries.
Wells was sentenced to six months in jail with an 18-month community corrections order and a two-year ban from attending licensed venues on June 17 last year.
He lost his County Court appeal the following month.
BENJAMIN REINECKER
Rye RSL sub-branch patron Benjamin Reinecker one-punched a stranger so hard he cracked his head on the concrete ground.
The “incredibly drunk” 26-year-old then just walked away, leaving sub-branch staff to take his victim to hospital on July 13 last year.
Reinecker had been speaking with a stranger outside the venue when he suddenly lashed out, striking the man to the face.
The victim fell and hit his head and received bruising, swelling and soreness to his face and a laceration to the back of his head.
Reinecker was convicted and placed on a three-year good behaviour bond, ordered to pay $2400 to the court fund and continue his medical treatment.
LUKE STEPHENS
Luke Stephens ran from police after he king-hit a man after a night on the booze at a Berwick nightclub.
The Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard the hard rubbish removalist became embroiled in a brawl after a verbal altercation broke out between two groups outside Lava Lounge about 2am on November 25, 2018.
The 27-year-old knocked out his victim as the man wrestled with other drinkers outside the High St venue.
The battered victim was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises.
When ambulances and police were called Stephens’ group fled, but he was soon arrested.
Stephens walked free from court, copping just 300 hours of community work after pleading guilty to common law assault in July last year.
TYLER BLACK
A Frankston pub patron was knocked out cold for three minutes after he was set upon by dirtbag Tyler Black.
Black, 24, and his brother had been boozing all day before his sibling “shouldered” a man on The Deck dancefloor about 2.20am on September 9, 2018.
Security stepped in after a confrontation ensued, but Black broke free and “launched” into the air, smashing his hapless victim to the face with his first.
The man fell unconscious to the ground and was out cold for three minutes while bouncers dragged Black and his brother from the premises.
The victim received bruising and abrasions to his face, needed time off work to recover and still suffered memory loss and headaches, the Frankston Magistrates’ Court heard.
When police arrested Black he said his memory of the incident was “a little hazy”.
But after watching CCTV footage Black said he “felt sick”.
Judge Trevor Wraight said it was “just luck” Black hadn’t killed the man.
Black’s five-month jail term — for recklessly cause injury and affray — was slashed to just one month in May last year.
He was ordered to do an 18-month community corrections order and 100 hours of unpaid work.
JOSEPH ESMAILI
Respected heart surgeon Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann was killed after hothead Joseph Esmaili unleashed an attack at Box Hill Hospital in May 2017.
The pair had been arguing about smoking in the foyer when Esmaili punched the doctor once in the head, causing him to fall back and knock his head on the tiled floor.
The father of two died four weeks later after his life support was withdrawn.
Esmaili became the first person to be sentenced under Victoria’s coward punch laws last year, which carry a minimum 10-year jail term, after a jury found him guilty of manslaughter.
In March this year Esmaili argued he should not spend the next decade behind bars because his victim had “clear warning” a deadly punch was coming.
The Court of Appeal found Esmaili’s grounds for appeal had “no substance” and dismissed the argument Supreme Court Judge Elizabeth Hollingworth had made an error.
“Evidence including both the CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts suggested not only that the violence was obvious, but that (Esmaili) intended the victim to apprehend that he was about to deliver a blow,” the Judgement said.
RICHARD VINCEC
Coward one-puncher Richard Vincec had a shocking history of violence when he killed a man outside Melbourne’s Cherry Bar.
The Corio cokehead punched 22-year-old Jaiden Walker in the face after he refused to shake his hand on May 6, 2017.
“Shake me hand c — t”, he told Mr Walker. “Shake my hand, I’m not a dog”.
Mr Walker then squeezed the sleazebag’s hand before he was punched to the ground.
Vincec fled the bloody scene and initially denied any involvement in the attack.
The father of three had a shocking history of violence.
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which carries a 20-year maximum sentence.
He was sentenced to just eight years, with a non-parole period of five.
DYLAN CLOSTER
Killer Dylan Closter bounced around like a boxer as his victim David Cassai lay unconscious on the footpath following the ferocious attack at Rye on New Year’s Eve 2012.
Closter chased down and fatally punched 22-year-old David Cassai as he tried to retreat with his hands up.
Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said the plumber’s unprovoked, alcohol-fuelled actions had catastrophic consequences.
“You repeatedly chased after him, trying to punch him, even though he and his friends were trying to back away from you and defuse the situation,” she said in sentencing.
Mr Cassai’s mother Caterina Politi founded the STOP: One Punch Can Kill campaign in a bid to stamp out the coward’s punch.
“I want people to have a great time going out with your mates, but don’t make the worst decision of your life. It’s not worth it, it’s not worth destroying your life,” she told the Herald Sun.
brittany.goldsmith@news.com.au
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