A man who co-starred in a viral fight video filmed at Wollongong train station was on his way to volunteer for charity when he began the punch-up by attempting to headbutt some respect into his 16-year-old opponent.
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Kevin James Stanmore, 62, was hit three times by the teen before he fell, hit his head on a metal pole and was knocked unconscious. The brutal final blow was captured in amateur video viewed thousands of times online.
Not on video were the fight’s opening stages on the quiet carriage of a northbound train minutes earlier, the morning of September 14.
The youth and his two friends had departed the carriage at Unanderra Railway Station after a woman complained about the noise they were making, Port Kembla Local Court has heard.
But they returned to the carriage one stop later, at Coniston, to locate another friend.
They were in the vestibule area when Stanmore entered, and stood staring at them.
According to police documents he asked: “were you the ones that were told to get off the carriage? If it was me who told you to get off the carriage I would have knocked you out”.
Appearing at Port Kembla Local Court on Tuesday, Stanmore said he lashed out when he heard the youth call him “a stupid old man”.
“I said, I’m not that old … [then] I went to headbutt him,” he said.
The blow missed. According to the police version of events, a friend of the teen’s held Stanmore back for a few seconds as the train door opened at Wollongong station.
Stanmore then stepped off the train and followed the boy, who told him: “get out the front, I’m not putting up with this crap” and “do you want to have a go?".
“Let’s go,” Stanmore replied.
CCTV footage reportedly showed the teen waiting a number of seconds for Stanmore to walk around the corner outside the station.
Clutching an enviro bag, Stanmore struck the boy with his left hand before the boy delivered three closed fist punches to his head.
“I’m not as fit as I used to be,” Stanmore told the court.
“I don’t know what happened next because next thing I know people are picking me up off the ground.”
Stanmore was catching the train to Wollongong Lifeline, where he has volunteered since June, 2011.
He told the court he had a history of intervening in perceived cases of bad behaviour, borne of his many years spent managing a supermarket. The store was visited by youths who would buy dozens of eggs at once for obvious misuse, he told the court.
”During 18 months I decided not to let them have eggs,” he said.
“I must have stopped six or eight dozen eggs being thrown at people.”
He told the court he had chastised “young fellows” for their bad language on trains before, to successful effect, but “it seems to be different nowadays”.
Magistrate Geraldine Beattie did not support Stanmore’s approach.
“You’re not their parents, you’re not rail security, you’re not a police officer,” she said.
She handed him two good behaviour bonds, totally 18 months, for charges of affray and common assault.
The teen faces a charge of affray. He will appear before court January 28.
