Woman stopped assault By Cam Lucadou-Wells A brave, elderly woman was the only onlooker who stared down a bus commuter who repeatedly punched a man into unconsciousness at Dandenong railway station, a County Court of Victoria judge has noted. Paul Ross, 34, who pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury, at the time swore back at the courageous woman in her 70s on the morning of 27 April. He then continued to berate his victim. “That’s what you get for mouthing off,” Ross told the motionless man. “You’re f***ing knocked out.” But it was the old woman’s intervention that caused Ross to stop his “serious and brutal assault”, Judge Meryl Sexton said during sentencing on 13 February. Judge Sexton said the woman showed “extraordinary courage” by directly approached Ross
within striking distance to tell him to stop. Ross had earlier ignored a bus driver, who pulled up metres from the incident and blasted the bus’s horn. Most witnesses did nothing but attempt to get away from the scene, Judge Sexton said. “I’m satisfied that they didn’t approach you because of the fierce nature of your attack which caused them to be scared for their own safety.” Some stayed perhaps to film the incident on their phone, while two people alerted train authorities with “little success”, the judge said. Ross had described himself as “amped up” at the time, annoyed that his car had broken down that morning and he’d be late to work in catching a bus. “It was not the victim’s day,” he later told police. Ross admitted that he knew he might get in a fight because he “knew what Dandenong is like” and didn’t like people staring at him.
The victim, who had a history of schizophrenia and was unknown to Ross, approached the accused on the station steps and appeared to stand over him. Ross then walked away despite the victim “yapping” at him, Judge Sexton said. At the bus stop, the victim again walked towards Ross, who described himself as going into “hunting mode”. He dropped his backpack and punched the approaching victim to the head. The victim fell backwards onto an elderly man’s shopping jeep and then onto the kerb. Before the victim got up, Ross punched him at least 15 times to the head and body, Judge Sexton said. Judge Sexton said she had no alternative but to jail Ross, given he’d been found guilty of an unprovoked assault in 2013. Ross was jailed for eight months, followed by a two-year community corrections order.
In Brief Springvale bank fire charges A 21-year-old Springvale man will answer 92 charges over last year’s fire at the Commonwealth Bank in Springvale. The man, named as Nur Islam, faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on the afternoon of Thursday 16 February and was remanded to appear again on Thursday 11 May. The charges include conduct endangering life, criminal damage endangering life, criminal damage by fire, gross violence, intentionally causing serious injury, and recklessly causing serious injury. Twenty-six people were injured when the Rohingya asylum seeker from Myanmar allegedly set himself on fire inside the bank on 18 November and injured customers and staff when the fire spread.
Rider dies after crash A 33-year-old motorcyclist has died in hospital following a crash in Noble Park North. Police believe the car was turning right onto Jacksons Road from Manning Drive when it collided with a motorcycle about 3.35pm on Monday 13 February. The motorcyclist, a Croydon man, received lifethreatening injuries and was transported to hospital. He died in hospital later that night. No one else was injured in the collision. Police urged anyone who witnessed the collision to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Masons move in
School goes from the edge of the cliff to cupcake fun By Casey Neill From the brink of closure to welcoming its 700th student - Cornish College has come a long way in five years. The Bangholme school celebrated its Foundation Day on Thursday 16 February with a studentled assembly and cupcakes all-round. Past and present students spoke about their experiences at the school, including a number who attended Cornish College’s predecessor. In early 2011, St Leonard’s College declared its Bangholme campus was not financially viable, sparking teachers and parents into action to save the school. After the St Leonard’s school council twice rejected moves to buy the site, the Uniting Church stepped in to help with negotiations. Cornish College opened its doors in February 2012 with about 220 students. It started this school year with 701 students from early learning to year 12. Founding principal Kerry Bolger, who retired at the end of 2015, returned for the celebrations. His successor, Vicki Steer, praised students for organising the day.
Alicia, the school’s 700th student, with Silvia and three-year-old daughter Lenia, and James. 164815 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS She said the school encouraged students to be active learners and integrated subjects to help them understand topics in depth. “I think that’s really engaging for students,” she said. “One of the things about this place is we really try to encourage students to take the lead and do things. “We facilitate rather than dictate.” Ms Steer’s previous role was at a girl’s school in
Sydney’s North Shore. “This is a very different school,” she said. “I am absolutely loving it. “There’s an incredible story around the school and how it was saved. “What was the value in the place that made people go through so much?” She said it was much more than the school’s idyllic 100-acre setting. “You could have a great landscape and a terrible school and nobody would come,” she said. “Over the decades there’ve been some really leading-edge educators working here.” The school’s commitment to sustainability is another feather in its cap, Ms Steer said. “Students being encouraged to look at everything through the different lenses of sustainability makes them feel like they’re starting to prepare themselves for being adults and being able to make a difference,” she said. A Greater Dandenong Council planning cap limits schools’ student numbers to 900. “We’ve still got scope to fill up a bit,” Ms Steer said. “It’s a very caring place and we don’t want it to get too big.”
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Man cut by machete robber A machete-wielding thief struck his victim and stole his mobile phone in Springvale. The victim, a 21-year-old Springvale man, was using the phone as he walked along Springvale Road about 1.40am on Monday 13 February. A blue Camry sedan containing two men approached him from behind. One man struck the victim to the left upper arm with the machete, causing a small cut, and the driver demanded he hand over his phone. He complied and the thieves drove away towards Springvale Railway Station. One thief is described as African with a shaved head and the other as dark and Asian. Police appealed for any witnesses to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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Freemasons Lane is moving into central Dandenong. Greater Dandenong councillors gave the green light to the proposal at their Monday 13 February meeting after receiving positive community feedback on the idea, including a 117-signature petition. The lane off Mason Street, near the Masonic Hall, was one of several created through Revitalising Central Dandenong developments. The council proposed the name to recognise the 1923-built Masonic Hall’s community, social and architectural significance and strong links to Dandenong’s history. Freemasons Victoria grand master Don Reynolds said markers that acknowledged the past in a changing urban environment provided future generations with an opportunity to gain knowledge of a local area’s history, adding to the quality of the social environment.
3 DANDENONG JOURNAL Monday, 20 February, 2017