Public sick of street violence, says judge

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September 10, 2010


A SERIAL offender who brutally bashed and robbed a Melbourne teacher who was trying to help him has been jailed for more than four years.

Ashley Wayne Brooks, 21, was on parole for bashing an elderly woman when he attacked teacher Mark Wresinski in inner Melbourne in April.

Brooks pushed Mr Wresinski to the ground and kicked him repeatedly, the Victorian County Court heard today.

Mr Wresinski was left bloodied, bruised and with a broken arm and no longer feels safe to walk the streets at night.

Brooks had been out of youth detention for nine days and was supposed to be living in a drug rehabilitation facility in country Victoria.

Victorian Judge Michael Tinney jailed Brooks for four-and-a-half years, six months more than prosecutors had called for, saying the attack was cruel and needlessly violent.

"A particularly callous and cruel offence, committed on a person who was entirely helpless," the judge said.

"It was also quite brutal. The level of force was gratuitous.

"The community is sick and tired of this sort of public violence."

Judge Tinney said Brooks had met Mr Wresinski near a Fitzroy hotel and they had a few drinks together.

Brooks said he had no way of getting home, so Mr Wresinski offered to lend him his bike.

"Unfortunately, what you did ... was to commit a most violent robbery on a member of the public who sought to help you," Judge Tinney said.

After bashing the teacher, Brooks stole Mr Wresinski's wallet containing $41 and rode off. Brooks was caught when police pulled him over for not wearing a helmet and noticed that he had blood on him.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Wresinski said he felt unsafe to walk the streets after dark and had been unable to hold his baby, who was born days after the attack.

Judge Tinney noted that Brooks had had a difficult upbringing. He was his 14-year-old mother's second child, and had a sister born a year earlier, the court heard.

Judge Tinney said Brooks had been brought up in an atmosphere of domestic violence and in a family that showed little regard for the law.

Brooks pleaded guilty to robbery and was jailed for four-and-a half years with a minimum of three years.

In 2007, Brooks attacked, bashed and robbed a 75-year-old great-grandmother in her bed.

The woman spent 12 days in hospital including time in an induced coma in intensive care.

In 2008 he was sentenced to two years in youth detention for the bashing, which was increased to three years on appeal.