Two men have been jailed and two others handed community corrections orders following a street assault on police in St Kilda that a County Court judge said was disgraceful.
Judge Scott Johns said the four men behaved like “a pack of animals” when they attacked two officers on Fitzroy Street who were responding to reports of an assault, about 3am on February 24, 2019.
The court heard Trent Potts, 30, Jack Houldcroft, 30, Phillip O’Donnell, 42, and Jack Mitchell, 30, had attended a birthday party at a licensed venue – with DJ Jules Tobin and Potts’ sister Kayla Potts – when Trent Potts became involved in a verbal altercation on Fitzroy Street.
Police were called and when officers attempted to lead Potts away he broke free and ran off. When Senior Constable Darren Shepherd lost his footing on nearby tram tracks and fell to the ground during the chase, Potts stood in a fighting stance and struck the second officer Senior Constable Adam McKenzie as he approached.
When Shepherd responded to the melee, Kayla Potts grabbed at the officer before he struck her to the forehead with a torch.
Houldcroft, Tobin and O’Donnell then joined the affray, with O’Donnell later dragging an unconscious Shepherd “out of the cluster of bodies” before slamming his head on the roadway multiple times.
Phillip O’Donnell was sentenced to 15 months jail with a non-parole period of eight months.Credit:Nine News
The officer was left with a ruptured left bicep and bruising, while his colleague suffered extensive grazes and soft tissue damage.
Johns said the police were outnumbered five to two, and that many bystanders watched in horror, while others attempted to limit the assault.
He said the men acted like a “pack of animals”, labelling random street violence a scourge on our society.
“Each of your victims was simply at his workplace, trying to get through a Saturday night upholding the law, upholding the peace,” Johns said.
Trent Potts was sentenced to three months jail and will serve a two-year community corrections order on his release.
“The confidence and willingness of each of you to resort to using your fists was shocking.
“An attack upon a serving police officer is an attack upon society itself.”
Mitchell and Houldcroft pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting an emergency service worker on duty and affray. Potts pleaded guilty to common assault and assaulting an emergency service worker, while O’Donnell pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury.
O’Donnell was sentenced to 15 months jail with a non-parole period of eight months.
Jack Houldcroft walks free from court after being sentenced to a two-year community correction order over his role in the 2019 assault.Credit:Nine News
Potts was sentenced to three months jail and will serve a two-year community corrections order on his release.
Mitchell and Houldcroft were given a two-year community corrections order.
Outside court, Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the attack had left a lasting impact on the officers and their families.
“Places like St Kilda should be a little more comforted that … bottom feeding bogans like this have been put away as they rightly should have been,” Gatt said.
“These two officers on that day were doing everything that embodies Victoria Police. They were coming to help one of the most vulnerable people in our community.
“These people acted like animals.”
Tobin was sentenced in 2019 for his part in the attack and handed a two-year community corrections order.
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