Northern Territory police are looking for witnesses after an alleged unprovoked attack on staff members and patrons at an Alice Springs club overnight.
Key points:
- A 63-year-old patron of Club Eastside was left cut and bruised after the incident
- The owner of the club claims that an 18-year-old was denied entry for being intoxicated and then attacked staff and threatened patrons with a star strike
- Police have arrested the 18-year-old for the incident, but are calling witnesses to report
Police Commanding Officer, Senior Sergeant Andrew Heath, said there were four people involved in the incident at Club Eastside, which included the alleged assault of a 63-year-old patron who was brought to Alice Springs Hospital with wounds to his hands and bruises to his face and main.
Senior Sergeant Heath said police arrested an 18-year-old man at 6 p.m. 22.50 in the city CBD.
“So he’s in police custody and is going to Alice Springs Court today.”
‘Terrible assault’
Club Eastside general manager Deryck Goodman said he had never witnessed an attack like this in his five years at the club.
Mr. Goodman said staff said police would be called if the man did not leave, aggravating the individual.
“[He] went straight ballistic and destroyed the front reception area computer and phone [which he threw] at the employee, who very fortunately just avoided and was just missed. So a very scary event. “
Mr. Goodman said the person can be seen on the on-site CCTV riding his bike to a nearby drain, where he allegedly picked up a starburst and returned to the club.
“The staff tried to lock the front door, but he was already running into the room. So there was no time,” he said.
Man ‘threatened staff and members with weapons’
Mr. Goodman claimed that when the man was back at the venue, he chased patrons and threatened the staff with the star palette.
Two patrons and a club board member helped hold and remove the man to the outside of the building, where the violence allegedly escalated.
It is said that other people got involved and started attacking the three members who had gotten the person outside.
A 63-year-old man was taken to Alice Springs Hospital with wounds to his hands and bruises to his face and head.
“I put him in the hospital myself,” Mr. Goodman.
“He’s okay and was released last night and he’s back and forth but has a terrible black eye and bad bruises.”
Mr. Goodman said the CCTV footage was shocking.
“For the members who stepped in, it’s their meeting place, they come to relax and enjoy it.
“Witnessing or being involved in this kind of incident is extremely horrific.”
Call for parliamentary inquiry into crime
Robyn Lambley, the independent member of the Araluen, called on the Northern Territory government to take crime in Alice Springs seriously.
“It is my job to make sure that everything I can do is done to reduce crime, to fight crime and to keep people safe to look at all the possible strategies used to prevent and reduce crime, and that’s my job, “she said.
“The prime minister is actually paid to ensure a secure life for territories, and he does not.”
Ms. Lambley said crime statistics spoke for themselves with the latest crime statistics, from February 2021 to February this year, showing that crimes against a person in Alice Springs have increased by 9.62 percent and crime against property by 40.41 percent .
“If they throw this out of Parliament tomorrow, I’ll be more disgusted than I probably have been forever,” she said.