By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Three men have been jailed for an “appalling” attack on New Year’s Day party-goers in Cranbourne West that left one of the victims fighting for life.
Dktour Ton, 22, Duach Duach, 24, and Deng Atem, 23, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to two counts of recklessly causing serious injury as well as intentionally causing injury and violent disorder.
They weren’t accused of the worst of the violence, including kicking and stomping the unconscious victims on the ground. But were still criminally responsible for their unidentified co-offenders’ sustained attacks.
In the early hours of 1 January 2021, the trio and four unknown males ambushed party-goers outside a house at Push-Pea Way.
One of the attackers was armed with a stainless-steel kitchen sink, which was hurled at one of the victims, missed and struck another victim.
Two victims were brought to ground, overwhelmed and unable to defend themselves.
They lost consciousness as they were repeatedly kicked and stomped to the head by some of the group.
A witness who tried to call triple-zero was punched to the head by an assailant.
One of the victims was flown by air-ambulance to The Alfred Hospital in a life-threatening condition with head trauma.
He was in an induced coma for two weeks, and still suffers an acquired brain injury.
It affected his communication, thought patterns, memory and motor skills and left him as a “shell of the person I used to be”.
As a result, he could no longer play guitar, play sport with his kids or work. He was debilitated by depression and anxiety, financially destroyed and had no enjoyment left in his life, he told the court.
“This horrific crime is a life sentence to me.”
His 79-year-old father told the court that he didn’t think his son would survive while in an induced coma. He was told to “prepare for the worst”.
Two others were hospitalised – one of them with a lacerated ear and multiple facial fractures that required multiple surgeries.
His jaw is still affixed with a metal plate, and he still suffers blurred vision, pigment patches to his face and anxiety and mood disorders.
His wife said the victim was “unrecognisable” in hospital, his facial injuries were the “worst thing I’ve seen in my life”.
The result played a large role in their marriage breakdown and ruined the victim’s career as a carpenter.
Ton, Duach and Atem are Australian citizens respectively born in South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
Duach was on bail at the time. Since his arrest, he’d been in remand. He is also serving a nine-year jail term for two counts of rape in 2020.
Ton had since committed driving offences after being released on bail.
In January, he was placed on a CCO with alcohol and drug treatment for earlier offending.
Atem had no other criminal history. His one day in remand reportedly had a “salutary” impact.
Sentencing judge Nola Karapanagiotidis said the victims spoke powerfully of the “devastating” and “life-altering” impact of their injuries.
The “appalling crimes” were fuelled by alcohol and continued despite their victims being rendered defenceless on the ground.
She noted the trio’s young age made them more prone to rash decisions as well as to reforming themselves.
However, the “devastating” and “life-altering” consequences to the victims required stern punishment.
Ton was jailed for 30 months with a 16-month non-parole period, Duach for 34 months with a 19-month non-parole term and Atem 27 months with 14 months non-parole.
Ton’s term included 224 days in pre-sentence detention.
