Race-attack man avoids jail
A HOBART man has avoided jail time over a racially motivated street attack last year on a Chinese student.
Jarrah Church-Clark, 19, and his equally intoxicated mate, Tommas Cangelosi, 21, were walking along Davey St towards town, having come from the direction of Lynton Ave, when they spotted Chinese University of Tasmania students Guo Neo, 21, and Gabriel Cheng, 18.
It was 4.50pm on July 29 and the students were heading towards the university via Lynton Ave, the Supreme Court in Hobart heard. Cangelosi made several racial slurs directed at the students and without any warning, or Church-Clark's prior knowledge, grabbed Mr Cheng by the jacket and told him if he did not give him money he would "put a knife in your throat".
While Church-Clark initially tried to pull his mate off the victim, when Mr Neo went to his friend's aid, Church-Clark punched him in the head with enough force to knock him to the ground.
Mr Neo suffered a significant injury to the centre of his forehead requiring several stitches, and has a visible scar.
In court, Justice Peter Evans made special mention of the actions of passers-by who saw what was going on and tried to help.
"Notably, Andrew Dicker, who had observed the scene as he was driven past, returned to the scene and sought to intervene as Mr Cangelosi chased Mr Cheng," the judge said.
Cangelosi turned and accosted Mr Dicker, swinging two punches in his direction.
The two attackers had then left the scene but both were apprehended by police.
The court was told that the pair had been involved in a similar attack on the Rivulet Track at South Hobart just five months earlier, for which Cangelosi had received a three-month jail term.
Justice Evans said the latest attack had had a significant ongoing psychological impact on Mr Neo.
He handed Church-Clark a wholly-suspended six-month term but ordered him to perform 70 hours of community service and to be of good behaviour for two years.
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