One-punch cowards, drunken thugs and even baby-formula fighters have fronted southeast courts
From the streets to pubs and even in a supermarket, nowhere is safe from the vicious acts of these coward punchers and thugs. Here are some of the more sickening, sad and shocking cases and how those responsible were made to pay for their crimes.
South East
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All sorts of assaulters have faced Melbourne’s southeast magistrates’ courts for vicious acts of violence that have left their victims physically and mentally scarred.
And it’s not just men who use their fists and feet to settle scores – women have also lashed out in anger and faced the wrath of magistrates, too.
Here are some of the more sickening, sad and shocking cases heard at Frankston, Dandenong, Moorabbin and Dromana magistrates’ courts.
VIRAL VILLAIN
One of the southeast’s most notorious thugs is Ryan Wells, a concreter who acted hard by punching an innocent man walking down a Frankston street.
The victim was knocked to the ground with his face smashed in, while Wells laughed it off and simply ambled away.
His sickening actions were caught on camera and after a massive social media meltdown he handed himself in.
His family suffered abuse, his case was subject to suppression orders, and he was bailed, sentenced and appealed before eventually being given six months in the slammer.
More: COWARD PUNCHER RYAN WELLS JAILED FOR 6 MONTHS
HEAD-STOMPER FREE
A young hoodlum with a vile taste for kicking people in the head – and stealing their shoes – walked free from court.
Mitchell Loader not only stomped on a teen’s head as he lay semiconscious outside McDonalds in Mornington, he then had the audacity to take the boy’s sneakers.
Loader was already in trouble for repeatedly kicking a Frankston food court diner in the face over an alleged sleight about a girl he knew.
The teen told his doctor that he liked taking drugs because they “made him angry” and he “enjoyed this as it made him feel dangerous”.
When he was arrested he was remanded and served 50 days in jail before being released on bail.
In court he wasn’t sentenced to any more time, instead given an 18-month corrections order with 150 hours of unpaid work.
More: THUG WHO STOMPED ON KID'S HEAD AT MACCAS WALKS FREE
NO BOTHER FOR BERWICK BASHER
He risked being jailed for his coward punch but when Luke Stephens rocked up to court he didn’t seem to care.
The thug, who sports a machine gun tattoo on his face, had knocked a man unconscious with a single blow outside the Lava Lounge in Berwick.
The court heard he had been partying with mates – including the man who he would later punch – but when Stephens’ group left the venue a verbal altercation followed and there was a brawl.
He king-hit the man who was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises, while Stephens did a runner.
In the courtroom he slouched and rolled his eyes, earning him a scolding from the magistrate for his “negative body language”.
But despite the rebuke he walked away with 300 hours of community work.
More: NO JAIL FOR ONE-PUNCH LAVA LOUNGE LOUT
ACTIVIST ASSAULTER
A well-known public political agitator has a private side he would rather people not know.
Far-right identity Avi Yemini admitted assaulting his former partner by throwing a chopping board at her head.
He also harassed and tormenting her for years which “broke her spirit” and “destroyed her self-worth”.
Yemini’s lawyer said he didn’t intend to hurt her with the chopping board, and it was an isolated incident across 10 years of a “volatile relationship”.
He was convicted and fined $3600.
More: AVI YEMINI CONVICTED, FINED FOR EX-WIFE ASSAULT
BAD SAMARITAN
An “incredibly drunk” Rye RSL patron who believed he was being a good Samaritan one-punched a stranger so hard the man fell backwards and cracked his head on the concrete ground.
Benjamin Reinecker then just walked away, leaving RSL staff to take the injured man to hospital.
He received bruising, swelling and soreness to his face and a laceration to the back of his head, but fortunately did not suffer any serious or permanent injury.
Reinecker’s lawyer said he “simply had a lapse in control” and reacted when his emotions, which had peaked due to a turbulent and stressful period in his life “came to a head”.
He was placed on a three-year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $2400 to the court fund.
More: DRUNK IN ONE-PUNCH RYE RSL ATTACK
BABY (FORMULA) BLUES
Before toilet paper got panic-buying shoppers hot under the collar, it was baby formula.
Single mum Samantha Smith was at Coles Parkmore in Keysborough when, angered by prolific buying of the “white gold”, she lost the plot, grabbing a woman by the arm and smashing her phone.
She represented herself in court saying “it was wrong” that people could “get away” with sending large quantities of baby formula overseas.
“It annoys me, there are hordes of Asians always down there, speaking to me in Chinese, being rude,” Smith said.
The magistrate said Smith simply couldn’t behave that way and gave her a good behaviour bond and ordered her to pay $100 to the court fund.
More: ANGRY MUM'S BABY FORMULA FIGHT
FINE FAIL
The son of a famous footy player was happy to get involved in a bar-room brawl, but not so happy to pay a “soft serve” court fine he was given for his role in the punch-on.
Mitchell Osborne, son of goalkicking great Richard Osborne, smacked a bloke in the eye as he waited to be served at the Sorrento Hotel.
When he faced court he was given a good behaviour bond for the reckless cause injury charge, with a condition he pay $500 to the court fund.
But the former soccer prodigy failed to stump up the cash and was brought back before the beak.
This time he was given a $750 fine, and he promised he would pay it.
More: BAR BASH SON OF FOOTY STAR FAILED TO PAY FINE
TEEN THUG
A young drunkard who threw a broken bottle at a Mornington pub manager’s face, leaving the man scarred for life, escaped a jail term.
The then 18-year-old – who can’t be named for legal reasons – was with a mate when he attacked the Backyard Bar boss because he had asked them to leave.
The teen picked up a broken glass bottle and threw it at the victim’s face, causing a serious cut to his cheek that caused a permanent scar.
He was placed on a 12-month community corrections order with conditions he undergo drug and alcohol counselling and attend a mental health program.
More: TEEN GLASSED BAR BOSS WITH BROKEN BOTTLE
MUM ATTACKED
A man who bear-hugged his wife in front of their shocked and crying kids was sent to jail.
In a family argument Aaron Baker forcibly restrained her on the ground in a position where she struggled to breathe.
The children saw the attack and she yelled at her eldest child to phone police and he ran over to the nearby school for help.
When police caught up with Baker he resisted arrest and lashed out at officers.
The magistrate said what occurred that day was “horrific” for the children and the distress and impact on them seeing that sort of violence was irreparable.
He was jailed for a total of four months minus 49 days he had already served.
More: MAN JAILED FOR BEARHUG ATTACK ON MUM
MORE COURT NEWS
DRUG DEALER EXCUSES: STRIPPER, BRA-STUFFER, PARK PARTY
UNHAPPY MEAL: BROKEN GLASS FOUND IN MACCAS' FRIES
DRINK DRIVERS: FOOTBALLERS, FILMMAKERS, LAWYERS, ESTATE AGENTS
THE WRONG MAN
A drunk wasted on a massive vodka session nearly blinded a stranger after she wrongly accused him of stealing her handbag.
After being refused entry to a bar Jenna Grose went into a nearby laneway and put her handbag down and, in her confused condition, falsely believed one of a group of passing males had picked it up.
She chased after him, scratched him and hit him in the face, causing lacerations to his eye which requires ongoing treatment.
All the time the handbag had been left in the laneway.
She was given 250 hours of unpaid work and told to undertake alcohol and mental health counselling.