Unprovoked attacks on the streets of Australia’s cities are becoming distressingly common, with reports this weekend that a 21-year-old man has died following an assault in inner city Melbourne.
ABC News report that Joshua Hardy, a Darwin man who was studying in Melbourne, was attacked by two men outside a McDonalds on St Kilda road in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police allege that Hardy was standing outside the store when a confrontation began between him and two other young men. They then say that he was “grabbed by the arm and violently thrown to the ground head first, and then kicked in the head.”
He lapsed into unconsciousness immediately, and was taken to Alfred Hospital with critical injuries, but died an hour later.
News Limited report that the two suspects initially fled the scene, however, 27-year-old Kyle Zandipour subsequently turned himself into police and has been charged with murder.
Zandipour is expected to face the Melbourne Magistrates Court today. A second man, seen in CCTV footage before the attack, has assisted police in their inquiries, but will reportedly not face charges.
Tributes have begin to flow for Hardy, who has been described by friends and loved ones as “a spirited and kind-hearted young man” and “one of the few people in this world who could bring a smile to all” on social media.
Melbourne’s Trinity College have also released a statement, saying:
“Joshua came to Trinity in 2012 and soon became loved by all for his prowess on the footy field, his mentoring skills (he participated in the AIME mentoring program), and his community-mindedness. Josh was a wonderful student and brother whose sudden passing is a tremendous shock.”
Last weekend, a 21-year-old man was in critical condition in hospital following a one-punch attack in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, one of several reported assaults in the city that night.
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