Man charged over one-punch attack in Perth city
A man who allegedly carried out a one-punch attack in Perth over the weekend stole another man’s bank card just hours earlier, the homicide squad said.
Police said the man was in the Perth CBD around 8pm on Friday night when he stole a stranger’s bank card and used it to make purchases.
Just two hours later he allegedly punched a 62-year-old man in the head.
Police said the man stumbled and fell to the ground before the alleged attacker left the scene.
“The 62-year-old man sustained critical injuries and was transported to Royal Perth Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition,” a WA police spokesman said.
The 37-year-old man from Scarborough was arrested nearby shortly after the one-punch attack and charged with aggravated robbery, causing grievous bodily harm, theft and obtaining proceeds by fraud.
He is expected to appear in court today.
The news comes after the alleged attacker of Tim Picton, who is accused of attacking the young father with a single punch, was released on bail last week.
Brodie Dewar was accused of murdering Labor leader Picton in Northbridge last year and was also charged in connection with a similar incident in a separate attack outside the Kalamunda Hotel just two days earlier.
One-punch laws in Western Australia carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years, or up to 25 years if the offender is drunk.
Prime Minister Roger Cook said at the time that his government would investigate what measures could be taken to prevent one-punch attacks.
“I think there’s a lot more we can do to make this a safer process, based on the conditions where people were dispersed and ended the night,” he said.
