Adam Allan pleads guilty to causing injury, unlawful assaults over CBD attacks
A man who was banned from Geelong’s city centre after masturbating at Eastern Beach later assaulted random women in a series of unprovoked attacks.
An innocent woman who was attacked by a stranger while out getting ice-cream has told a court of the debilitating impact of the assault.
Adam Allan, 49, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday via videolink from Melbourne Assessment Prison and pleaded guilty to nine charges including recklessly causing injury and multiple unlawful assaults.
Allan, who also pleaded guilty to assaulting a prison officer, contravening a bail condition and sexual exposure in a public place, was jailed by magistrate Kimberley Swadesir for 38 months, with a non-parole period of 30 months.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Chris Sinfield told the court that Allan was banned from Geelong’s CBD as part of his bail after being busted masturbating at Eastern Beach reserve late one night in July.
On August 2, a woman and her friend were walking along Gheringhap St towards Augustus Gelatery when Allan threw a “roundhouse punch” at the woman’s head that narrowly missed.
The victim called triple-0, believing he would assault someone else.
Another woman was walking in Westfield Shopping Centre when Allan punched her so hard her head “smashed into a wall” and she fell to the ground bleeding, before being taken to hospital.
Allan assaulted another woman in Westfield, before entering a Malop St eatery and stealing cans from the drinks fridge – two Cokes and two Pepsis.
The store owner followed him outside and Allan swung a fist at her too, narrowly missing, before throwing one of the cans at a woman riding her bicycle through the intersection of Gheringhap and Brougham Sts, hitting her in the face.
While in custody, Allan assaulted a female prison officer at the Metropolitan Remand Centre.
The first woman assaulted said going to get ice cream had a “special significance” in her life, and she had gone to get ice-cream on the day of the attack following the loss of two people close to her in close succession.
“The childhood joy I used to experience from a trip to the ice-scream shop has been taken away,” she told the court.
She said she experienced daily fear and anxiety since the incident, with her sleep, work and social life affected.
“I used to be the one who walked people to cars to make sure they’re safe, now I’m the one looking over my shoulder,” the woman said.
Both magistrate Swadesir and Allan’s defence lawyer, Ryan Robertson, commended the victim on her “powerful and brave” statement.
Ms Swadesir assured the woman it wasn’t her fault that Allan went on to assault others.
The court heard that Allan’s most recent court appearance was for “strikingly similar” unprovoked attacks on strangers at a Melbourne train station.
Mr Robertson conceded from the outset that his client would be jailed, but noted the need for a sentence “suitably tempered”.
Mr Robertson tendered material including a psychological report and told the court Allan suffered from treatment-resistant schizo-affective disorder.
Allan also had a potential acquired brain injury and a possible intellectual disability.
Ms Swadesir said Allan’s conduct was deplorable, entirely unprovoked, and would have put “great fear into the lives of members of the community”.
Ms Swadesir acknowledged Allan’s mental health issues and early plea, telling him he needs treatment and likely will for the rest of his life.
Allan had 69 days reckoned as time served.
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Originally published as Adam Allan pleads guilty to causing injury, unlawful assaults over CBD attacks
