Attack on Jewish man players fined

A Melbourne magistrate yesterday fined two Ocean Grove footballers and convicted one for a racial attack on a Jewish man in Melbourne last year.
Menachem Vorchheimer was walking to his synagogue with his two children, aged six and three, on October 14 when a group of about 20 men, most from Ocean Grove Football Club, drove past in East St Kilda.
Melbourne Magistrates’ Court had earlier heard several of the men in the group, who had been drinking at the Caulfield Cup races, began yelling anti semitic abuse at Mr Vorchheimer from bus windows.
Club captain James Dalton, 28, of Ocean Grove, then reached out a window and took Mr Vorchheimer’s Sabbath hat and skullcap from his head, the court heard.
Mr Vorchheimer chased the bus down the road before an unknown person on the bus punched the victim in the eye.
The court was told Matthew Cuthbert, 24, of Ocean Grove, then said: “I’m not going to apologise to no f***ing Jew”.
Dalton was fined $1000 but the magistrate did not record a conviction against him.
Dalton had pleaded guilty earlier to one charge of offensive behaviour.
Cuthbert was fined $750 and had a conviction recorded after pleading guilty to one charge of using insulting words in a public place.
Outside court Mr Vorchheimer said he was satisfied with the magistrate’s decision.
“He endorsed that the actions of the offenders on that day were racist and anti semitic and I think that is the larger message that comes out of it,” he said.
A third Ocean Grove footballer, Simon Christian, 21, was convicted and fined $1000 in May for using insulting words against Mr Vorchheimer during the attack.