Violent brawl no party

By Shaun Inguanzo
YOUNG people are too scared to party after a violent brawl soured birthday celebrations and sent two young men to hospital with head injuries and stab wounds.
Police are still seeking information after a fight erupted at an 18th birthday party at Edinburgh Hall, Springvale, on Friday night.
Natasha St-Mart, 16, attended the party with two friends and told Star that while waiting outside she saw several carloads of teenage men pull up and approach security guards outside the hall.
Ms St-Mart said fighting broke out in an instant and the gatecrashers entered the hall and began throwing punches, and even chairs, at partygoers.
“We didn’t know who they were, they just started fighting the security and fighting the boys at the party,” she said.
“They ran into the hall and threw chairs at people and started hitting girls. One of my friends got hit.”
A police media statement said a 22-year-old Dandenong man suffered serious head injuries after he was hit with an iron bar.
He was airlifted to The Alfred hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition.
A 17-year-old Dandenong man was stabbed in the stomach and transported to the Dandenong Hospital in a stable condition.
Ms St-Mart said she saw the stabbed man lying on the ground.
“He was coughing up blood and had injuries to the head,” she said. “People were just in shock and were crying.”
Ms St-Mart said two other parties were cancelled that weekend – one in Noble Park, another in Mulgrave – as a result of the brawl.
She said many of the young partygoers were now frightened to attend parties because they did not want to risk a repeat.
“It has put me off going to parties,” she said.
“I’ve seen fights happen before, but none this bad. No-one has been rushed to hospital, and the fights, if any, are broken up by parents.
“But not even security could stop this one, and there were so many uninvited people.”
Springvale detectives investigating the case said the family had done the right thing by registering the party with Victoria Police’s PartySafe initiative.
“It gives police a heads-up about the party and estimated numbers, and what steps are being taken to ensure a smooth and peaceful process throughout the night,” Detective Sergeant Chris Goldrick said.
“It is quite likely that while these were serious circumstances it may well have been significantly worse had the family not registered the party with police.”
Anyone with information about the incident can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.