Elderly man allegedly bashed with cricket bat after trying to stop accused thief at charity shop
An elderly man was allegedly beaten with a cricket bat in Mentone, a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, after confronting a suspected thief at a Salvation Army charity shop. CCTV footage captured the 75-year-old being chased and struck multiple times, with police alleging he was also threatened and told to hand over his phone, before two bystanders intervened, disarmed the attacker and restrained him until police arrived.
The incident occurred on Florence Street just after 6pm on Monday, and the victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police arrested a 30-year-old man, who has been charged with attempted armed robbery, assault and affray and remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. A note later appeared on the charity shop's window thanking the "good Samaritans" who intervened, while a nearby shop owner said she had witnessed repeated disturbances in the area and felt too afraid to confront offenders herself.
- Elderly man allegedly bashed with cricket bat defending charity shop in Melbourne
- Bystanders disarmed attacker and held him for police
- 30-year-old charged with attempted armed robbery, assault and affray
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Mentone is a suburb in Melbourne's south-east, and the incident happened outside a Salvation Army charity shop on Florence Street. The Salvation Army is a Christian charity that runs a network of second-hand shops, and confrontations with suspected shoplifters at such stores are not unusual, though this one turned violent.
The case centres on an elderly man, 75, who is alleged to have challenged someone he believed was stealing from the shop, and was then chased and struck with a cricket bat. Two passers-by are reported to have stepped in, taken the bat away and held the alleged attacker until police arrived. A 30-year-old man has since been charged over the incident.
The story has drawn attention partly because of the age gap between the victim and the accused, and partly because of the bystanders' intervention, which has been publicly acknowledged by the shop. It also touches on wider local concerns, with a nearby shopkeeper describing a pattern of similar disturbances in the area and reluctance among traders to intervene themselves.