Two people have been injured in a seemingly random attack in the Wollongong city centre.
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Witnesses say a man hit out at a bystander, believed to be a 19-year-old man, on Keira Street about 12.50pm Thursday.
A female passer-by was also injured after she intervened in the attack and the man “charged at her”, a witness told the Mercury.
“She was just trying to help,” the witness said.
A 38-year-old man has been taken into custody and remains at Wollongong Police Station.
No charges have been laid as at 2pm.
No one was seriously injured, however both the injured suffered pain and bruising and remained at the site with ice packs on their injuries for some time.
NSW Ambulance paramedics transported the male to Wollongong Hospital in a stable condition.
A witness, Emma Reeves, said the attacker’s eyes were “pure black” when he targeted the man, who was standing with a group of people.
“He just cracked [the male victim] in the face. He was screaming at them, ‘you dog, you dog, c-nt … all this lovely language.”
“You could tell he was on something.
“They [in the group] were just minding their own business.”
Ms Reeves said the attacker had boarded a bus and was about to be driven away when the second victim intervened, telling the driver not to depart because police were on their way.
“The young girl said, ‘no, you’re not going, the cops are coming’ and he [the attacker] has just run up screaming in her face. He dropkicked her in her stomach, then he hit her in the neck.”
“She was only a very small build and this guy, being high on whatever, had a little bit of power behind him.”
Ms Reeves said she intervened when she saw the injured woman, the woman’s companion and another passer-by attempting to subdue the man.
“They were having some trouble keeping him down. I'm a decently large woman and thought I'd use my weight to hold him down.”
“It was not so frightening for myself. I actually got up because there was a woman and a young child at the back of the bus. I didn’t want this guy running up the back of the bus and doing anything to the child’s mother.”
Angela Thompson
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
