Six charged over alleged St Kilda police attack
They’re accused of a brutal street attack on police in St Kilda. But these people have quickly become the faces of those charged with violence against police, an offence category running at an alarming 3000 per year in Victoria.
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Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has spoken of his disgust at a brutal street attack on two police members.
Mr Ashton said footage of the weekend incident — in which the pair were set upon by a group — was “shocking”.
“I got a lot of reaction from members of the community that they were outraged by it,” Mr Ashton said.
“I was outraged by it as well. Everyone was just disgusted by it.”
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Six people have now been charged over the incident, on Fitzroy St in St Kilda, which left one officer with a suspected cheekbone fracture and the other with a ruptured bicep.
Mr Ashton said he had been in contact with the members and that they were “positive”.
One of the accused was remanded in custody, four were granted bail after facing court appearances and another was granted police bail.
Mr Ashton said police had opposed bail for most of those charged over the 3am confrontation.
Social media pictures of those accused show a smiling couple in their car, a standard bloke selfie at a sports stadium and a hipster-looking singer.
But they have quickly become the faces of the state’s alarming rate of those charged with violence against police, an offence category running at 3000 per year.
Among them were — until the weekend — outwardly normal suburban couple Jack Houldcroft, 27, and his fiance, Kayla Potts.
Ms Potts, a 25-year-old mother-of-one from Langwarrin, is accused of punching a police officer to the side of the head
Mr Houldcroft is alleged to have intervened after Ms Potts was struck with a police officer’s torch, punching and kicking the cop while he was on the ground.
He is the only one of the six who remains on remand.
Trent Potts, the 26-year-old brother of Kayla, faces counts of assaulting police, affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and other assault-related offences.
He is alleged to have sparked the initial police response when he kneed a transgender woman in the groin, before punching a police officer.
Singer Jules Tobin is alleged to have he spat on one officer as he lay on the ground during the fracas.
It is the phone footage of a fifth person, allegedly 38-year-old Phil O’Donnell, which many found the most disturbing.
The offender depicted appears to repeatedly slam the officer’s head into the pavement, later described by Supt Tony Silva as a “rag-dolling” of the officer.
Mr O’Donnell is facing charges of assaulting police, affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and assault offences.
A 26-year-old Frankston man became the sixth person charged on Wednesday morning.
Jack Houldcroft
27, of Langwarrin
Plumber
Charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and other assault-related offences.
Remanded in custody
Kayla Potts
25, of Langwarrin
Childcare worker. Fiancee of Houldcroft and mum of one
Charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and other assault offences.
Given bail after facing court
Trent Potts
26, of St Kilda
Concreter. Brother of Kayla Potts
Charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and other assault offences.
Given bail after facing court
Phillip O’Donnell
38, of Frankston
Carpenter
Charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and other assault offences.
Given bail after facing court
Jules Tobin
26, of St Kilda. Singer and actor who performed at nearby birthday party on the night
Charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and other assault offences.
Given bail after facing court
Name unknown
26, of Frankston
Charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and other assault-related offences.
Given police bail