Bat bashers

By Melissa Meehan
KELVIN Grove has again made headlines, for all the wrong reasons.
The troubled Springvale street was again the scene of a violent attack on five people, in which a 30-year-old man from Hawthorn East was assaulted with a baseball bat.
Detective Senior Constable Stuart Freeman said the attack began just before midnight on Sunday when two vehicles – a dark green 1999 Daewoo coupe and a burgundy 1991 Toyota coupe – drove into Kelvin Grove to look for a car park.
The drivers of these cars noticed a third car pull up behind them.
“They noticed two men get out of a car behind them and approach with baseball bats,” Det Freeman said.
“The victims then continued down Kelvin Grove to get away, not knowing it was a dead end.”
Det Freeman said the victims then did a U-turn and passed the men with the bats.
“One of the vehicles, the Toyota, managed to evade the baseball bat attack, but the other received damage before exiting onto Springvale Road,” he said.
“When they (the Daewoo) reached the intersection they were stopped by a red light.”
The driver of the Daewoo was then verbally abused by a truck driver parked beside them at the lights.
“The truck driver is alleged to have got out of his truck and hurled abuse at the victims,” he said.
Before the lights turned red a second car, silver in colour, approached the intersection from behind them.
Det Freeman said two men with baseball bats got out of the silver car and “smashed” the Daewoo before turning on the driver, who escaped with soft tissue injuries and minor lacerations. The driver then drove to the Camberwell police station to report the attack.
“It is unusual that these people are armed with baseball bats,” Det Freeman said. “There is no suggestion that the attackers and victims knew each other. It could have been a road rage incident.”
He said that while only one driver was physically harmed, his four friends were emotionally distressed by the incident and while the victim was Indian there was no evidence that the attack was racially motivated.
The news follows residents’ pleas for police to make regular patrols of Kelvin Grove, and last weekend’s car fire.
Anyone with information about the incident, or knowledge of similar incidents should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.