Southbank coward punch victim’s future ripped away in horror attack

The victim of a violent Southbank coward punch attack has spent the past two years almost entirely confined to a bed in a vegetative state while the man responsible paved a new life.

Kevin Vidovic has been left with permanent, lifelong disabilities following the coward punch attack at Southbank in October 2022.

Coward punch victim Kevin Vidovic has spent the past two years almost entirely confined to a bed in a vegetative state while the man who robbed him of his future paved his own.

Suliman Suliman is now 28 running his own earthmoving company in Melbourne while his victim, unable to talk or independently eat, spends his remaining days suffering in a nursing home in his homeland of Croatia.

Suliman – who describes himself as “not a violent person” – dealt two savage blows to the head and face of Mr Vidovic outside Soho Restaurant and Bar in Southbank while fuelled by cocaine and booze in the early hours of October 30, 2022.

The County Court of Victoria on Tuesday heard the “senseless act of violence” erupted after a friend of Mr Vidovic, then aged 25, simply “brushed shoulders” with an unknown male when exiting the venue.

Kevin Vidovic has spent the past two years almost entirely confined to a bed in a vegetative state.

He is unable to talk or independently eat.

A scuffle erupted and Mr Vidovic stepped in only when he saw his friend was under attack.

Within seconds, Mr Vidovic was set upon by co-offender Khaled Haddara and was in the process of retreating when he was punched from behind by Suliman.

Graphic footage played in court showed the second and final blow believed to have rendered Mr Vidovic instantly unconscious, preventing him from bracing as he fell backward and cracked open his head on the concrete.

“He fell like a matchstick. His knees didn’t even buckle or bend,” a witness recalled.

As blood gushed from his head, Mr Vidovic’s friends rushed to his aid, believing he was dead as Suliman walked away with seemingly no regard to the welfare of the victim whose life he had essentially ended.

Now receiving 24/7 care in a nursing home near family in Croatia, Mr Vidovic shows no signs of meaningful recovery from his catastrophic brain injury.

He can barely move or focus his gaze and is nourished through a feeding peg in his stomach, the court heard.

Suliman Suliman dealt two savage blows to the head and face of Mr Vidovic.

Mr Vidovic was set upon by co-offender Khaled Haddara.

His brother Ivan Vidovic provided gut-wrenching video footage of his brother lying in bed just days ago barely responding to requests for him to squeeze his hand.

“His heart was full of compassion – it showed in every aspect of his life,” Ivan said.

“He was always trying to make the world a better place. His kindness, his love for life and his plans for the future were ripped away that horrible night.”

The grave impact of Suliman’s crime was acknowledged by his defence barrister Dermot Dann who withdrew his initial position for his client to be dealt with by way of a community corrections order like in this case of Haddara.

“That’s no easy thing to do when representing someone but it’s a recognition of the serious nature of the offending,” Mr Dann said.

The barrister said Suliman acted in the context of substance use disorder and despite efforts to get off drugs, is not yet clean.

The court heard Suliman, raised in war-torn Sudan, is remorseful for his crimes, which he pleaded guilty to at a relatively early stage.

He has been assessed as being a moderate risk of recidivism.

Mr Vidovic’s two friends who Suliman is also charged with injuring were present in court with their families, one seen crying as footage of his once able-bodied friend was shown.

Mr Dann sought for Suliman’s bail to be extended until sentencing next month but the plea was rejected by Judge Gavan Meredith who declared custody the “only appropriate” outcome for the accused.

Haddara was sentenced last year to an 18-month community corrections order with conviction.