Finnish tourists allegedly attacked with car and shovel while walking Bibbulmun Track in WA

A FINNISH couple enjoying a scenic bushwalk were forced to restrain a man after he allegedly hit them with his car and attacked them with a shovel.

A WEST Australian man will front court today after he allegedly ran down a Finnish couple in his car before attacking them with a shovel while they were on one of the state’s most scenic bushwalks.

The 36-year-old man from Sawyers Valley has been charged with attempting to unlawfully kill and spent his Saturday night in hospital after the woman managed to grab the shovel from him and hit him over the head.

Police allege the couple were attacked on Saturday afternoon just after 1.30pm while they were walking the Bibbulmun Track near Paulls Valley, half an hour out of Perth.

The Bibbulmun Track stretches for 1000km. Picture: Tourism Western Australia

As they hiked the famous track, the 36-year-old man allegedly used his Mitsubishi Triton, with stolen plates, to run them down.

After hitting the 33-year-old Finnish man with his car, the driver the allegedly pulled out a shovel and started attacking him.

Eventually, when the Finnish man was left on the ground with a severe head wound, the driver allegedly “turned his attention to the victim’s female companion”, a West Australian police spokeswoman said.

But before the female was badly injured, the male victim managed to get back up and struggle with the driver.

Police allege the female victim then picked up the same shovel the driver had used on her fellow hiker and hit the man over the head, causing him to let go.

Someone walking by stopped to help the injured couple and all three of them held the driver down until police arrived to arrest him.

Both the Finnish couple and the driver were taken to Royal Perth Hospital.

The Finnish couple are living in Australia and working here.

The Bibbulmun Track runs for more than 1000km from Perth down to Albany in the state’s south.

It’s often described as one of the world’s best long distance hiking trails and can take up to two months to fully complete.