New Year’s Eve Carlton machete attack accused in court

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court has heard new details of the horrifying attack on two young men in Lygon St on New Year’s Eve by a gang of males with machetes.

During a bail application hearing for 20-year-old Kon Gob, from Richmond, one of three males charged over the attack, the court heard that one of the victims, who received two stab wounds and suffered a collapsed lung, had fled interstate, where he was living in fear.

The second victim wasn’t cooperating with police, and no-one had therefore been charged over his injuries.

According to the police version of events, the two victims had been standing on the footpath in Lygon St at 11.35pm on December 31 when they were approached by a group of 10 males.

After one of the group asked the first victim where he was from, the man was “almost immediately … set upon in an unprovoked attack”.

Multiple members of the attacking group had used machetes against the victims, with those not actually wielding weapons actively assisting the others, in “one mass attack by the entire group.”

Magistrate Brett Sonnet described the incident as “like a version of events from a horror movie”.

Opposing bail for Gob – who has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, violent disorder and affray – Victoria Police informant Detective Senior Constable Acacia Chapman said the attack was “part of an ongoing youth gang rivalry”.

The detective had concerns for the 20-year-old’s family and younger siblings if he were to return to his mother’s home in Richmond due to the risk of youth gang rivalries and potential retaliation, she said.

The court heard Gob’s co-accused had been linked to the crime via car registration.

Gob had been arrested after police received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip claiming he was clearly identifiable, from his general appearance and dreadlocks, in video of the event shown on the news.

Detectives had then matched a distinct bag, watch and ring he had been wearing on an occasion when he was filmed by police with the Lygon St footage, DSC Chapman said.

They had also located footage of him returning to his apartment building at 4am on January 1.

Gob’s lawyer argued the CCTV evidence was insufficient to identify his client, who had given a no comment interview to police.

Gob was a volunteer with a youth outreach program, the defence lawyer said.

The court heard police were waiting on the result of forensic testing of a machete sheath and analysis of Gob’s mobile phone, which they believed would hold further evidence.

The bail applications of both Gob and his co-accused Yahye Abas from Fitzroy were due to return to court in February.

The third person charged over the event, a 17-year-old, is being dealt with in the Children’s Court. •