Dandenong drug addict hit by brave civilian with mop after allegedly tried to steal car and motorbike, running from scene
A streetsweeper, a mop and four brave Dandenong civilians were what it took to bring down a man who allegedly led a wild-goose chase after trying to steal a car and motorbike. But the man’s lawyer said a traumatic event triggered the alleged incident.
South East
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A quick-thinking civilian helped stop a Dandenong drug addict who allegedly went on a crime spree four days after he was released from jail, a court has heard.
It came after three Greater Dandenong Council workers witnessed Corey Tsionis allegedly trying to hot-wire a garden maintenance vehicle in the council carpark just before 7am on June 7.
When the employees asked him what he was doing, Mr Tsionis allegedly armed himself with a fire extinguisher before dousing one of the witnesses in propellant and sprinting toward the City Edge Dandenong Apartment Hotel on Thomas St, where he was living.
But the workers weren’t giving up easily, with two people piling into a streetsweeper and another embarking on foot to track the heavily drug affected man down.
The Dandenong Magistrates Court heard Mr Tsionis allegedly produced a knife at and again sprayed a worker who caught up with him, before making a getaway to the hotel.
As Mr Tsionis proceeded to attempt to steal a motorbike from the first floor, he allegedly flashed his knife at a friend of the bike’s owner who asked him what he was doing.
(The witness) started yelling to people on the (hotel) balconies to call police,” the prosecution said.
Council workers still on the hunt for Mr Tsionis caught up with him on Walker St where they saw the bike owner’s friend running behind him.
The wild goose chase peaked when the man grabbed a mop from a nearby bakery and used it to clock Mr Tsionis over the head.
“The accused reached into his pants and yelled ‘do you want to die?’ to everyone,” the prosecution said.
“The accused ran off toward Dandenong Plaza and was found by police at the Dandenong creek overpass.”
Mr Tsionis, who had completed a sentence for another crime four days before the alleged incident, interrupted the hearing to clarify he was also jailed in 2018 over a “fight at the pub”.
His lawyer said her client had a “traumatic upbringing” where he witnessed his father inject drugs in front of him at a young age.
Mr Tsionis also suffers from a number of mental health problems including post traumatic stress disorder and depression.
“He has a lower IQ based on traumatic upbringing and lower education,” the defence said.
Magistrate Tony Burns said it was “extraordinary” Mr Tsionis hadn’t been charged with armed robbery.
Mr Tsionis faces eight charges including burglary, theft of motor vehicle and threat to inflict serious injury.
He was remanded and will reappear for plea and sentencing on November 17.
brittany.goldsmith@news.com.au
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