Lionel Combo threatens teens with metal pole in Narre Warren attack
Two teenagers were forced to run for their lives after a pair of thugs armed with a metal pole launched an explosive attack on them outside a Narre Warren petrol station. And a quick-thinking victim used a sneaky trick to buy himself more time to run.
South East
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A brazen thug who clubbed a teenager with a metal pole after he refused to hand over cigarettes at Narre Warren has been jailed.
Lionel Combo, 21, pleaded guilty in the County Court after striking the 18-year-old in the ribs when he and his friend refused to give up their cigarettes and money outside a 7-11 petrol station on February 1 last year.
The youngsters made a stop to pick up milk and cigarettes in the early hours of the morning before Combo and his co-offender pulled up in a stolen green Nissan, also to pick up cigarettes.
And when Combo’s card bounced back, he returned to the car and remerged with his friend — both wearing bandannas to cover their faces with Combo wielding the weapon.
They demanded the 18 year olds hand over the items before Combo, who was on a community corrections order, unleashed the brutal attack.
“(The first victim) ran away, you then directed your attention to the second victim still armed with the metal pole and accompanied by your co-offender who demanded cigarettes and money from him,” Judge Paul Lacava said.
“He told the second victim that if he didn’t give you what you wanted, you would stab him.”
But the brutes took a step back when the quick-thinking victim pretended to reach for a knife in his pocket before shouting “f*** off or I’ll stab you” and making a run for it to catch up with his friend.
The thugs chased the pair in the car, with one attacker jumping out and screaming “give us your ciggies c***” before the teens hid in a nearby park and ran back to the petrol station to raise the alarm.
Combo and his friend took a satchel left behind by the second victim including his passport and Myki card, which was found by police inside the Nissan after it was driven by the co-offender in Clayton South days later.
Mr Lacava noted Combo’s Indigenous heritage and disruptive childhood as well as a drug habit which saw him smoke cannabis before moving onto ice.
“But you stopped using at 18 years old with the help of your girlfriend,” Mr Lacava said.
He said Combo, who was already in custody for more serious offences dating back to 2018, was suffering from panic attacks and nightmares in his cell due to 23 hour isolation as a result of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
“You’re supported by your girlfriend and your mother … you have no employment, I accept you’ve had a deprived upbringing,” Mr Lacava said.
Combo pleaded guilty to one charge of armed robbery, attempted armed robbery and theft and was sentenced to a total of three years and nine months behind bars with half the sentence to be served concurrently with his current sentence.
He will be eligible for parole in November next year.
brittany.goldsmith@news.com.au
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