BY MICHELLE HERBISON
TWO former employees of a central Geelong nighclub have received suspended jail sentences for affray and recklessly causing serious injury following a group attack on a patron in May.
Magistrate Ron Saines convicted Andrew Cafarella, 21, of Kilgour St, Geelong and Dane Wise-Graham, 23, of Jabiru Close, Ocean Grove, fined them $2000 each and handed them one-month sentences, wholly suspended for 18 months.
Leading Senior Constable Scott Bell told the court Rumours Nightclub manager Mark Currie, regular patron Sean McInness and doorman Thomas Coates were also involved in the violent James St incident.
The victim was “dragged to the ground where he was pushed, punched, elbowed and kneed several times to the head and body while he tried to cover up”, Sen Const Bell told the court.
He said the incident followed the victim aggressively taunting people inside the nightclub after his eviction for fighting with McInness.
“The crowd controller, Mr Wise-Graham, came down the stairs at a fast rate, pushed Currie aside and jumped over the entry barrier then threw a punch at the victim, forcing him backwards onto the road. The victim retaliated before Currie and Coates joined in the assault upon the victim.
“The victim was knocked to the ground and kicked several times by Coates and Wise-Graham.”
Sen Const Bell said Cafarella, the club’s RSA officer, joined in the group attack soon after, punching the victim several times to his upper body while he was held up against a car.
“He was then taken to a shop where he was pushed up against the glass and left there.”
Snr Const Bell said the victim required emergency treatment at Geelong Hospital for a broken wrist, a sore neck, cuts, grazes and bruising to the head, body, arms and legs.
Defence lawyer Shane Balkin told the court Wise-Graham became involved after hearing the victim threatening others’ families, grabbing hold of him and receiving a punch before throwing one.
“The victim was almost his own worst enemy on this night – he was involved in two separate incidences.”
Cafarella told police he was “just helping friends making sure nobody got injured”.
“This is often a very difficult working environment and they’ve pleaded guilty to reacting in an inappropriate and excessive manner,” Mr Balkin said.
