Thug bashed disabled mate before robbing him of pokies winnings
A disabled Mornington man and aspiring YouTube comedian was “on top of the world” when he won big at the pokies — until his thug mate attacked him and stole his winnings.
South East
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A Mornington “coward” who brutally bashed then robbed his disabled friend because he won big on the pokies has walked free from court.
Anthony Mimmo, 33, was sentenced in the County Court on November 14 to a three-year community corrections order and time served – 179 days – after pleading guilty to robbery and intentionally causing injury.
Mimmo targeted his friend and YouTube comedian Mark “Batman” Zammit after he won almost $7000 at the Grand Hotel on June 30, 2017.
Mimmo lured his mate to his Mornington home on July 6, where a second man, Joshua Lockens, threatened Mr Zammit and demanded his phone and wallet.
Mimmo punched Mr Zammit in the back of the head multiple times, continuing his assault even after Mr Zammit begged him to stop.
Mr Zammit lost consciousness after Mimmo put him in a choker hold then threw his head through the wall.
The thugs then propped a bloodied Mr Zammit against a chair and demanded he reveal his bank account login details and PIN number.
Mimmo left his Linnet Crt home with Mr Zammit’s ATM card and withdrew $1500.
He drove to Mr Zammit’s home on July 8 to return his bank card, driver’s licence and Medicare card.
“I’ll kill you Batman,” Mimmo warned as he left.
Mr Zammit reported Mimmo to police a few days later.
Police used CCTV and blood samples to link Mimmo to the crime.
In his victim statement, Mr Zammit – who suffers from a rare genetic condition which caused him reduced mobility, a deformed spine, bad joints and easily dislocated hips – said he’d been “on top of the world”.
“(Now) I feel like I’m in a nightmare,” he said.
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The court heard Mimmo grew up in an “affluent” family but his criminal priors include making a threat to kill, assault, threatening to inflict serious injury and violence against a woman.
Judge Liz Gaynor said Mimmo’s “grave offending” was “appalling and disgusting”.
“It is clear this cowardly and very nasty attack on Mr Zammit has affected both he and his mother,” she said.
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“Particularly concerning is that this man was your friend, he is a man who suffers a number of physical disabilities … you’re a big man, far bigger than him, you and others assaulted him in a contemptuous and cowardly fashion.
“You treated him appallingly afterwards, placing him in fear … you showed no remorse.”
However, Judge Gaynor said Mimmo had since turned his life around and sentenced the father-of-three to 250 hours of unpaid community work.
Lockens pleaded guilty to intentionally cause injury and robbery and will next face court on December 18.