Collingwood brawl: 18-year-old remanded in custody involvement in riot

Dieu Atem, 18, has been remanded in custody for allegedly driving a car into a young man during a riot in Collingwood.

Dieu Atem, 18, has been remanded in custody for allegedly driving a car into a young man during a riot in Collingwood.

Mr Atem appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court wear a hi-viz labourer’s top. He was arrested this morning at a construction site in Dandenong.

His lawyer Grace Donovan said it was his first time in custody and that he would not seek bail.

David Bilal, 18, is still in hospital due to the crash. He is a witness in the case of the stabbing death of 19-year-old Laa Chol in a CBD apartment tower last July.

Mr Atem was first arrested by police the day after a riot broke out at the Gasometer Hotel in Collingwood during a hip-hop music label’s launch party. But he was released pending further inquires.

It is alleged that during a brawl between Gasometer patrons, mainly from African and Pacific Islander backgrounds, he drove a car into the crowd, injuring Mr Bilal.

Up to 150 youths were involved in a riot in the streets of inner-city Collingwood a fortnight ago, following the launch of a local hip-hop music label.

Victoria Police’s Commander Tim Hansen said the Collingwood brawl could have been sparked by Chol’s death, despite senior officers saying they did not believe it was a “revenge attack”.

Another 18-year-old male was arrested today at his school in connection to the vehicle allegedly used to attack Mr Bilal.

He was released pending further inquires.

Mr Atem will next face Melbourne’s Magistrates Court on January 7 next year.