‘I want to kill you’: Atoa Apora George jailed for violent Springvale pool hall rampage
A violent brute trashed a Springvale pool hall, punched and threatened to kill the owner, savagely bashed a stranger and terrorised a couple during a drunken rampage — but the young thug will be back on the street in less than six months.
South East
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A violent brute who trashed a Springvale pool hall, bashed an innocent man and terrorised a couple during a drunken rampage will be out of jail in less than five months.
Atoa Apora George, 20, had been drinking wine for several hours before he stormed Tri Ky Billiards, owned by Mohammad Idris, in the early hours of October 11, 2018.
George believed Mr Idris had slighted him weeks before.
“I want to kill you for calling police,” George said as he punched Mr Idris three times in the head.
George demanded Mr Indris unlock his phone and hand it to him.
The thug and two unknown cronies ransacked the pool hall and a vape store, Abinat Empire, located inside.
George threw chairs, pushed furniture over, broke pool cues and threw eggs and “other food stuffs”.
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Abinat Empire owner Muhammad Yaacob and his wife Farah Haslan hid in their shop as the menaces plundered the Warwick Avenue hall.
Mr Yaacob desperately tried to calm his wife down, who was “scared and crying”.
He locked the vape shop door but the goons broke the glass and barged in.
George pushed over a display cabinet at Abinat Empire and broke some glass.
George’s girlfriend at the time, Aromoana Maliko, arrived at the pool hall in a late attempt to calm her enraged boyfriend down.
The thug and his brute mates left after stealing $6000 in cash, two electronic cigarettes and a bottle of vape fluid.
As they left a man, Ali Agous, was dropped at the pool hall to collect his car.
Mr Agous was confronted by a now-shirtless George carrying a wooden pool cue.
George demanded Mr Agous hand over cash and his iPhone before telling one of his cronies to hold the innocent victim from behind so he could beat him with the pool cue.
Mr Agous was struck to the head, arm and ribs. He fell to the ground unconscious but, after he came to, George again hit him in the head with the pool cue.
The thugs then patted Mr Agous down as George threw another punch.
Mr Agous ran away but the brutes threw glass bottles at him and he cut his feet while trying to flee.
Police arrived and arrested George but could not find his co-offenders.
George told police “things got out of hand” because he was “on the piss”.
A psychologist found he was a “low to moderate” risk of offending.
George was sentenced in the County Court on August 2 to 12 months’ jail and a two-year community corrections order.
He had pleaded guilty to several charges including armed robbery, assault and intentionally causing injury.
Judge James Parrish took into account George’s age and his early guilty plea.
He had spent 197 days in custody at the time of sentencing.