Gripped by fear after attack

By Lilly O’Gorman
A PAKENHAM Fire Brigade volunteer refuses to leave her home at night after witnessing a random attack right outside her front window.
Rebecca Deliseo saw the attack happen outside her Henry Street home after 10pm last Wednesday. Three men set upon her 22-year-old neighbour, who was delivering a pizza, in another neighbour’s driveway.
“These guys, he didn’t know them,” Ms Deliseo said. “He was just getting into the car and the three guys jumped him. They pushed him into the ground, one put their knee into his back. The shorter guy was going into his car and the other two were just kicking and beating him.”
Ms Deliseo said she yelled out to her dogs to be quiet, which caused the men to run off.
She said it happened inside the driveway of the house where the man was parked to deliver a pizza.
“They have gone into the gate to do this to the poor kid,” she said. “If I get a call (to a fire) at 2am, I’m not doing it anymore, because what if that was me?
“I won’t turn out (to a CFA call) at night now and a few of the guys (male CFA volunteers) have said ‘yes, it’s probably best that you don’t’.”
Leading Senior Constable John Roberts at Pakenham police station said the attack was unusual for the area.
“It’s not a robbery or racially motivated incident, just a random assault that is quite out of character and context with Pakenham,” Sen Const Roberts said. “The men weren’t known to the victim and had no apparent motive.
“Traditionally, assaults are between parties known to each other. There is certainly nothing to indicate an increase in the amount of assaults reported in Pakenham.”
Sen Const Roberts said the 22-year-old didn’t require medical treatment, but was obviously traumatised and shaken.
He said there were surveillance cameras outside the house where the incident occurred, but police were “still waiting to see what value that is.”
The three men were last seen heading towards Princes Highway from Henry Street on foot and are described as young, Caucasian males, aged 16-20. Two were wearing caps, all were wearing shorts and one had skate type shoes.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Pakenham police station on 5945 2500.