Pair receive jail time for king hit attack in Darwin CBD park

TWO men have been sentenced for a brutal attack on another two men in a Darwin park last year, which left one of the victims with severe head injuries and potentially permanent brain damage.

Two men have been sentenced for a brutal attack on another two men in a Darwin park last year, which left one of the victims with severe head injuries and potentially permanent brain damage.

TWO men have been sentenced for a brutal attack on another two men in a Darwin park last year, which left one of the victims with severe head injuries and potentially permanent brain damage.

Simon Munkara, 41, and Anthony Tipiloura, 35, appeared in the Darwin Supreme Court on Tuesday after they each pleaded guilty to a range of charges including aggravated assault, engaging in violent conduct and stealing.

The court heard the pair were in Tamarind Park in Darwin’s CBD at about 9pm on August 9 last year when a verbal fight broke out between them and another pair of men.

CCTV footage of the event showed one of the victims began to physically fight Munkara and Tipiloura.

Meanwhile, the second victim tried to break the fight up and pull the first victim away.

Tipiloura was seen punching the first victim to the ground before sitting on him and continuing to punch him in the upper body.

Munkara then punched the second victim in the head, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head on the concrete and making “a loud noise heard by witnesses”.

Both victims were left unconscious, with the second treated in the Intensive Care Unit of Royal Darwin Hospital.

The court heard Tipiloura then stole money and mobile phones from the pockets of both victims, which Justice Peter Barr described as “a particularly distasteful example of opportunistic dishonesty”.

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Munkara was then heard yelling “they deserved it, they were asking for it” and “I’m Mike Tyson” as he and Tipiloura left the scene.

Justice Peter Barr told the court the second victim suffered five separate fractures to his head and swelling of the brain, resulting in widespread brain damage.

The court heard, via a victim impact statement tendered in court, that he still has some cognitive difficulties and that “he may have ongoing cognitive deficits”.

His overseas deployment as a part of his job in the defence force was also cancelled on medical grounds.

While sentencing Munkara, Justice Barr said it was “unfortunate” that the victim who was “least culpable” in the fight was so seriously injured.

“A very serious element is that it’s an assault on a person who is attempting to defend another person,” Justice Barr.

“I’m satisfied you knew (the victim) was no threat to you.”

However, Munkara’s defence barrister, Marty Aust, told the court during a previous hearing that the harm to his victim was caused “in the context of a dynamic series of events” – in reference to the fight that took place.

“I cannot be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you intended to cause the serious harm,” Justice Barr said.

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Munkara was sentenced to three years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and six months.

Tipiloura was sentenced to eight months and 14 days jail.