‘You can’t handle me’: Killer’s last taunt after fatal blow kills tradie

A court has heard the man who killed tradie Luke Francis in an unprovoked attack at Crown Casino last year has a shocking history of other violent assaults.

The shocking violent history of a man who killed an innocent concreter at Crown Casino includes the bashing of a stranger who had simply asked him to be more polite.

Tyson Armstrong, 28, has twice assaulted police and attacked a man at a petrol station who took issue with his swearing.

The criminal past of the Geelong father-of-three was revealed in the Supreme Court after he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Luke Francis, 29.

Luke was walking through the food court at Crown Casino with his girlfriend Tessa when he was followed by Armstrong and punched to the jaw from behind, causing him to suffer a fatal brain bleed, in March 2022.

Tyson Armstrong arrives at the Supreme Court of Victoria. Picture: David Crosling

During a pre-sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Justice Andrew Tinney detailed a 2014 assault committed by Armstrong with his cousin Joshua, who was also with him the night he inflicted fatal injuries on Luke.

The cousins were drunk inside the BP service station in Colac when a man, who had walked inside to pay for fuel, took issue with the “indecent language” the pair was directing towards two female staff.

“The victim asked them to be more respectful to the console operators and to stop swearing,” His Honour stated.

The man left the shop and was about to get into his car when he was pushed.

He stumbled backwards, was thrown to the ground and hit his head on the concrete before he was punched and kicked where he lay.

Joshua was handed six months in jail while Armstrong was given a community corrections order, which required treatment for alcohol abuse and anger management.

He later breached that order.

Armstrong was with Joshua at Crown Casino when he attacked Luke unprovoked, with his cousin trying to intervene.

When Luke fell to the ground, Armstrong leaned over him asking, “You can’t handle me, am I too big for you?”, before walking off with his cousin smiling and “behaving as though he had no concerns in the world”.

Luke Anthony Francis with his sister, Emily. Picture: Supplied

Meanwhile, an unconscious Luke was taken to hospital where he was put on life support and died two days later.

In 2016, the court heard that Armstrong assaulted a police officer called to an altercation that’s believed to have occured on the street.

And in 2018, he assaulted another officer who was called out amid concerns of his behaviour during a football game at the MCG.

Crown prosecutor Jordan Johnston on Monday told the court that Armstrong’s offending highlighted his “incapacity to control his anger, even in very busy crowded public places”.

Justice Tinney also noted a statement from a Crown Casino witness - who was working at a bubble tea shop when Luke was assaulted - that “made an impression on me”.

The witness said he had looked up when he heard Tessa screaming out, but “didn’t notice anything too concerning”.

“I say this because I work at Crown Casino and I see people fight all the time,” the witness stated.

Justice Tinney said it was “a very interesting thing for a witness to say”.

“Showing what a common event it is for physical altercations to take place in that area,” His Honour said.

Mr Johnston submitted that Armstrong had a “highly relevant criminal history that speaks to ... excessive alcohol consumption and violent behaviour.”

Defence barrister Carly Marcs pointed to Armstrong’s early guilty plea, his remorse, including a letter he’d written to Luke’s family - which they hadn’t read - and said his offending was “middle-range” for manslaughter.

Mr Francis, pictured with his sister, Emily, at his hospital bedside, died three days after being punched at Crown casino.

On Monday the court heard Armstrong, who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, later told police: “It’s just so hard to walk away these days when you’re having a few drinks.”

“This is so embarrassing, I didn’t think I’d hurt him … I punched him in the f***ing face … I”m not a bad guy, I f***ed up.”

During the hearing Justice Tinney rejected a claim from Armstrong that he’d launched a “pre-emptive attack” amid fears he himself would be assaulted.

“It’s not consistent with the truth, is it?” His Honour asked.

The court heard how minutes after the attack, Armstrong claimed to police that Luke had told him to “come out the front” and said, “Let’s go f***head, let’s go little dog”.

But CCTV footage did not support his claim.

“Mr Francis was walking away, did not turn to look at him, did not turn to interact with him in any way … and he was struck,” Crown prosecutor Jordan Johnston said.

Defence barrister Carly Marcs said there was “no real justification or explanation” for the assault.

“This offender saw what wasn’t there to be seen,” she said.

Luke Anthony Francis’s sister Emily Harris, stepfather Kevin Harris and mother, Michelle Harris outside court on Monday. Picture: David Crosling

Vision also captured Armstrong, a father of three, leaving the scene, and was described by Justice Tinney “as though he had no concerns in the world”, chatting and being animated with his cousin.

“He did behave as though he had no concerns about what had taken place,” His Honour said.

Dozens of family and friends of both the victim and his killer packed the courtroom on Monday, where 17 victim impact statements were read by loved ones detailing their heartbreak at life without Luke.

His mum, Michelle Harris, faced Armstrong in the dock as she told the court of her torment at a son lost for “absolutely no reason at all”.

“How can someone have so much rage and anger for someone they don’t even know? It’s absolutely disgusting,” she said.

“What you did was an act of a coward.”

Ms Harris said 30 years ago, nurses handed her a beautiful baby boy wrapped in blue blankets.

Last year, she was handed his ashes in a blue box.

“Why did he have to die – I give him life and it was taken away within seconds.”

Ms Marcs said while Luke was raised in a family where he was taught to walk away from violence, Armstrong was not.

The defence barrister said he learned as a child that “if someone is going to be a smartass, they have to be dealt with – strictly, forcefully”, and with “prompt and violent retribution”.

But Justice Tinney said “there couldn’t have been any justification of carrying out any attack on Luke.”

Armstrong, who had a lengthy criminal history including for assaulting police, faces a maximum 25 years behind bars for manslaughter.

Outside court, Ms Harris said the family was trying to “stay as positive as we can”, and hoped for a “good outcome, a fair outcome”.

“Life? I know that’s unrealistic … but a long, long time,” she said of the jail term they hoped for.

“He was just so loved and didn’t deserve to go out like this.”

Justice Tinney will sentence Armstrong at a later date.