Josh Snowsill attacked in St Kilda issues warning to others

A teenager slashed across the face in an attempted robbery has warned others to be careful on nights out. Warning: Graphic images

Josh Snowsill, 19, had his chin slashed in a violent random attack in St Kilda.

A teenager who had his face slashed open in a ‘revolting’ random attack has warned others to “keep their wits about them” on nights out.

Josh Snowsill was with three friends on Barkley St in St Kilda when a pair of men in hoodies demanded their wallets and phones.

When they refused one slashed Josh, 19, across the face, cutting his flesh almost down to the gums leaving him with severe nerve damage.

“One of the blokes came up behind a tree or a car and started approaching, two seconds after he slashed me straight across the face,” he said.

Josh Snowsill, 19, is recovery from surgery on his slashed chin.

He said he and a friend “bolted”, but accidentally ran into a dead end and found themselves “cornered” as the two men demanded their wallets and phones.

“One of them had a knife, so we ran in different directions and that must have been when he slashed me in the back,” he said.

“We ran back to where we came from … and I turned around and saw they had stopped chasing us and were taunting us.”

It was only then that Mr Snowsill said he realised how badly he was injured.

“I looked down and realised I’d been cut.

“I was wearing a white T-shirt and it was soaked with blood right down to the bottom.”

He was rushed to hospital for surgery, and is now recovering at home.

Mr Snowsill said his surgeon told him he would “have bled out on the spot” if the cut on his chin had instead been across his neck at the same depth.

“To have only me injured and all my mates fine was a bit of relief.”

The criminology student said he was happy his “mates were reasonably safe, though they’re obviously pretty traumatised”.

“I think if my group wasn’t attacked, it definitely would have been another,” he said.

“It could have been worse: a smaller group, or if it was a girl or two girls.”

Josh’s horrified sister Eliza said it was time more people were aware of the violent crime happening on Melbourne streets.

“(They) ended up in a dead-end street with these two psychopaths,” she said.

“It’s revolting.”

“If they’d been lucky enough to get a couple more centimetres either way, I don’t think I’d be talking to you about a Josh that was still alive,” she said.

Ms Snowsill said her “gentle, well-mannered, beautiful” brother had been through an ordeal.

“That’s pretty aggressive, disgusting behaviour … these guys were obviously out to cause some harm,” she said.

“Unless you know what’s happening you don’t know to be on alert more.

“Knowledge is power (and) if you know what’s going on around the world, you’ve got a fighting chance.”

A police spokeswoman confirmed Port Phillip detectives are investigating the assault and the victim was taken to hospital “with serious injuries”.

“Both offenders fled empty-handed along Smith Street and were last seen running along Foster Street,” she said.

Police are looking for two males of caucasian appearance, aged in their late teens to early twenties, who covered their face with bandannas.

The first man was of medium build and wearing a black cap, black hoodie and black track pants.

The second had a slim build and wore a light coloured baseball cap, a black hoodie and jeans.

Police haven’t determined if the attack is linked to a Ripponlea robbery which also took place after midnight on Saturday morning.

Two caucasian males approached a man and woman, allegedly knocking the man unconscious before stealing his phone and wallet.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.