Chelsea bashing: Tradie and mate glassed, kicked, punched by thugs on walk home from beach
A Chelsea tradie concussed in a brutal gang bashing has told of his horror after he was repeatedly kicked and punched after stepping in to help a girl.
South East
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A Chelsea tradie has told of his horror after he was targeted in a savage gang bashing as he walked home from the beach.
The man, who did not want to be named, was kicked, punched and left with a concussion after he was set upon by a group of thugs at Victory Park on November 15.
The man and his friend, both aged in their mid 30s, were walking home from the beach and had cut through the park when they crossed paths with a group of up to 30 people about 10.30pm.
Members of the rowdy group, believed to be of African appearance, were drinking and yelling near the bushes.
“(One man) was berating this girl, calling her a f****** w****, every name under the sun,” the man told the Leader.
“I said to him, ‘mate, you don’t speak to a lady like that’.”
A large group of attackers set upon the man and his friend, splitting them up as they laid punches and kicks during a horrifying one minute ordeal.
“They completely split us up … it felt like forever,” the man said.
“They bottled my mate and hit his nose.”
The lifelong Chelsea resident was rescued by a passer-by and was forced to miss work for a week as he recovered from a concussion, split lip, sore jaw and bruising.
His friend was left with facial lacerations.
The horror attack comes as community concern grows for safety on Melbourne’s beaches following violent incidents at St Kilda, Chelsea and Seaford.
Last year, the Leader reported on gangs taking to Chelsea and Mordialloc beaches to brawl as the temperature heated up, with concerned Ambulance Victoria paramedics telling the Leader they dreaded “the next hot day”.
One paramedic said they had lost count of call-outs to beach brawls and boozy violence between 2017-19 and warned it was “only a matter of time before it happens again.”
Last week, a police officer was allegedly assaulted and two people were arrested after an altercation at Seaford foreshore.
It came after police were called in to break-up a group of alleged boozed-up thugs.
On Wednesday, 26-year-old Langwarrin carpenter Cam Smith was tragically killed in a brazen unprovoked stabbing at Seaford.
“When I was a little boy I could go to the beach from 11pm to 2am and have no issues … now there’s people getting killed,” the Chelsea victim told the Leader.
“Most families take their kids down to the beach in the evening or night (due to UV rays) … you can’t even do that now.”
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said investigators were working to track down two males allegedly involved in the November 15 assault.
“It is believed two males, among a large group of people, assaulted the victim and another man after the victim asked the males to stop swearing,” she said.
“The investigation into the incident is ongoing.”
Anyone with any information is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppervic.com.au
