Adam Wrobel: Somerville business owner smashes colleagues’ car with hammer
A desperate Somerville businessman called a colleague into his factory for a “conversation”. What happened was far more terrifying.
South East
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A Somerville man has pleaded guilty to a terrifying assault on a work colleague, after an argument erupted between the pair over the victim’s wife.
Adam Wrobel, 49, called work colleague Gerard Kestel into his Somerville concreting factory on January 21 for a “conversation,” after Mr Kestel had taken issue with Wrobel for the way he had spoken to his wife days earlier, the Frankston Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday.
But after meeting at the factory at about 6.30pm, Wrobel reached behind a forklift and grabbed a hammer, causing the victim to run towards his car.
The court heard that Mr Kestel could only watch as Wrobel, who according to his lawyer was suffering from significant mental health issues, began to belt his side mirror and tailgate with the hammer.
The victim managed to return to his home shortly after but almost immediately began to receive threatening text messages from Wrobel, the court heard.
One message Wrobel sent to Mr Kestel said: “Go there now and put my shit out the front and I will get it tonight … Otherwise KABOOM.”
One hour later Mr Kestel heard bashing on his front door, which he believed was the police he had recently called.
But when the victim glanced over his fence he observed Wrobel “running off down the street,” the court heard, and his bins kicked over.
Lawyer Anika Walden, for Wrobel, said her client was “hit hard” by Covid and was dependent at the time of the assault on selling old equipment.
Ms Walden, who said that Wrobel had recently become a father for the first time, was on poor medication when he attacked Mr Kestel’s car, but had since greatly improved on melatonin, xanax and valium.
She said Wrobel was repentant and had paid for the damage to Mr Kestel’s car.
Magistrate Julian Ayres said thankfully no one was injured, adding it was “terrifying to think what might have happened if (Mr Kestel) had failed to get out of there quickly.”
In granting the defence’s plea that he be spared a conviction, Mr Ayres said he accepted Wrobel was “genuinely remorseful” but conceded he was “fortunate” to receive this outcome.
Instead, Wrobel will serve a one year community corrections order and be required to complete 75 hours of community service.
