Mt Evelyn’s Callum Ritchi slashed mate’s chest in fight over childish texts at Dandenong’s Albion Hotel pub
A 20-year-old Mt Evelyn man reacted badly when messaging his mate over a car sale turned nasty, but instead of leaving a sad emoji he rode to a Dandenong pub armed with a knife.
South East
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A knife-wielding slasher who cut a former mate’s chest open in a fight outside a Dandenong pub will get another stint behind bars.
Callum Ritchi was angry with his ex-pal over a car deal gone wrong when he went to The Albion Hotel and attacked him.
The victim suffered a 45cm gash in the vicious assault and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
At Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday Ritchi appeared by video link to be sentenced, but the case was adjourned so he could be assessed for a community corrections order.
In September he had pleaded guilty to charges of affray and intentionally cause injury.
He also admitted unlicensed driving and riding an unregistered motorbike, for which he was fined $600.
Ritchi was 20 at the time of the slashing, and spent his 21st birthday behind bars while on remand.
The court heard on August 28 this year he arranged the stoush after the pair had sent each other “childish” text messages over the sale of a car.
He rode his unregistered scooter from his Mt Evelyn home to the Lonsdale St pub and when he arrived the mate came outside and swung a spirit level at him.
In retaliation Ritchi slashed at the victim with a large knife, cutting him and leaving a long laceration across his chest.
He then rode off on his scooter while a passer-by called an ambulance.
When Ritchi was interviewed a few days later he admitted being involved in the fight and said he had dumped the knife near Dandenong Plaza.
His defence lawyer said the pair had been good friends before the text messaging had escalated into the prearranged fight.
She said Ritchi was not a violent man and was normally a “quiet, calm boy” but on this occasion his substance abuse had exasperated his mental health issues.
Magistrate Tony Burns said the nasty knife attack had caused a significant laceration stretching 45cm across the man’s chest — all because of some “childish” text threats.
Mr Burns said he was giving him the chance to see if he could convince corrections staff he was suitable for a drug and mental health treatment order.
But he said no matter what, Ritchi would still be given more time behind bars on top of the 78 days he had already spent on remand.
“You were trash-talking over texts, and effectively arranged to fight,” Mr Burns said.
“There is going to be more imprisonment, (but) it won’t be a crushing amount.”
Ritchi will be sentenced on November 19.
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