By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A serial prisoner was locked up for his ninth jail term after robbing a man beaten unconscious in central Dandenong three years ago.
Dur Bidong, 28, pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery as well as failing to answer bail at County Court of Victoria.
His victim was on his way to Dandenong railway station after a co-worker’s birthday drinks about 7.30pm on 30 January 2018.
The man was shoved by a drunk Bidong and another male into a laneway off Clow Street, between Dandenong Market and the Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre.
The victim was confronted by a large group and pushed up a set of stairs, where he was punched, kicked, beaten with a stick and knocked out with a bottle.
As he stirred awake, the group rifled through his pockets, wallet and work bag.
Cash, a bankcard, an iPhone, a laptop, external hard drive, USBs and sunglasses were stolen.
The victim was pushed down the stairs towards Clow Street and told to call an ambulance.
After being aided by passers-by, the victim was taken to Dandenong Hospital with a broken jaw and other head injuries.
The victim later identified Bidong’s face from a photo ID folio – which Bidong had unsuccessfully contested as inadmissible evidence.
In a police interview nearly two weeks later, Bidong denied he’d met the victim or any recall of the incident. He refused to take part in an ID parade.
In sentencing on 30 April, Judge George Georgiou noted the “traumatised” victim required counselling for PTSD, depression and anxiety since the attack.
His life had changed, living in fear of another attack, Judge Georgiou stated.
Bidong didn’t play a direct role in the assaults and couldn’t anticipate the victim being struck by a bottle and a stick, the judge found.
However, Bidong’s moral culpability was high, his conduct “brazen in the company of others” and aggravated by him being drunk during the attack.
“You knew your drinking got you into trouble, you knew others got hurt by your drinking and yet you continued to drink heavily,” Judge Georgiou said.
There was no evidence of remorse, and only “guarded” prospects of rehabilitation.
Bidong’s “extensive” criminal record of dishonesty and violence included 18 court appearances and nine jail terms in a decade.
Much of Bidong’s offending happened while he was drunk, the judge stated. He hadn’t sought help for his drinking outside of jail.
As a child, Bidong fled with his mother and siblings from war in Sudan. They lived in a refugee camp in Egypt for three years before arriving in Australia in 2004.
Initially not speaking English, he struggled at school as well as with fitting into the Australian culture. He’d started drinking heavily at 15, often to the point of passing out.
Interventions such as anger management were needed to stop his re-offending and alcohol abuse, a psychologist reported.
At the time of sentence, Bidong was still in remand after serving 22 months’ jail for affray. The affray occurred a month before the Clow Street robbery.
Bidong was convicted and jailed for two years, 10 months. He will be eligible for parole after two years.
The term includes 358 days in pre-sentence detention.
