Two bizarre acts of violence outside pubs hit the headlines this week, after an assault in the Melbourne suburb of Epping and an attempted robbery on the Sunshine Coast caught the media’s attention.
A man plead guilty to the charge of intentionally causing injury at Heidelberg Magistrate’s Court this week after assaulting a patron at Melbourne’s Epping Plaza Hotel last November.
42-year-old Aaron Meekin and his 38-year-old victim were asked to leave the pub’s smoking area after Meekin picked a minor physical fight with the other man.
The victim complied with the request to leave, at which point Meekin removed all of his clothing and began to chase him. He attacked the man, who had been trying to walk away, with a punch to the head.
The victim attempted to defend himself as the pair wrestled near the entrance of the pub.
The court heard Meekin repeatedly slammed the man’s head into the ground and struck and kicked his face until the victim fell unconscious.
The man was rushed to hospital with head trauma and a brain bleed that lasted several days.
Meekin was apprehended at the scene and taken into custody.
The court heard the defendant had previously faced “very significant” challenges and currently lives with complex trauma symptoms. He met with similar charges eleven years ago after assaulting police.
This week the case was adjourned for additional pleas and sentencing.
Meanwhile, an attempt at robbery was made when a 50-year-old man left the Alexandra Headlands Hotel on the Sunshine Coast after winning $4,000 on the pokies.
His would-be assailants were foiled by a simple push from the would-be victim.
Aaron Armstrong, 27, met his accomplice, Rylee Poland at the pub that evening.
When the pair saw the victim, Poland stepped outside the venue, only to return moments later with a shirt wrapped around his head.
Thus disguised, he attempted to grab the victim, while Armstrong brandished a knife and demanded his wallet.
Unfazed, the victim laughed and pushed back, causing Armstrong to fall.
The pair ran from the hotel but were caught on CCTV.
Maroochydore District Court heard that while Poland refused to be interviewed, Armstrong came clean, blaming the attack on a mix of alcohol and Xanax.
Poland pleaded guilty to his ‘attempted robbery in company’ charge and was sentenced to 15 months’ jail.
Armstrong also pleaded guilty to his charge of attempted armed robbery. His defence barrister said his client had showed remorse throughout, and had only met his accomplice that day.
He further stated that Armstrong had previously struggled with drug addiction and had a “prejudicial upbringing”.
Armstrong received a sentence of 18 months for what was branded an “unthought out plan”.
