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Anthony was on his way to buy a Boost juice at a Northland Shopping Centre in Preston when he and his partner rounded a corner and were confronted by two people “wildly” swinging machetes, he says.
The duo, wearing balaclavas, were allegedly facing off against three of four other males, who seemed to be trying to stop them. As another male ran past, Anthony’s partner stepped out of the way – but Anthony stuck his foot out and tripped the man.
In seconds, Anthony had the alleged offender – who was wielding a machete – in a chokehold on the ground. Meanwhile, the brawl had spilled further inside, sending shoppers running, screaming and hiding in stores.
Detectives on Monday confirmed they had charged two teenagers – a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy – over the brawl, after they were arrested at the centre.
“There was quite a lot of people around, and then three of the guys with machetes, they were just swinging it wildly at whoever else was trying to stop,” Anthony – not his real name – told ABC Radio Melbourne on Sunday.
“[The tripped male] fell onto the ground, and there was … one or two other guys that were trying to apprehend him because he still had the machete in his hands.
“While he was on the ground, I just got on his back, put him in a bit of a chokehold, and held him down for a few minutes, I suppose, until the police arrived.”
Anthony said he saw several males struck by machetes. “It started outside, and then it just came inside,” he said. “[The male on the ground] just kept saying he can’t breathe, but he could definitely breathe because he kept talking.”
The 15 and 16-year-old teenagers were charged with affray, intentionally causing injury, possessing a controlled weapon and using a controlled weapon. Both boys were remanded in custody and will front a children’s court on Monday.
A man, aged 20, had serious injuries after the brawl and was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital. He remained there in a stable condition on Monday.
Two other males involved in the incident have since sought hospital treatment, police said. As of Sunday, police were still working to identify other people involved in the alleged affray, which they believed was an act of “retaliation” after another incident on Saturday.
Premier Jacinta Allan is under pressure to bring forward the introduction of a machete ban set to commence on September 1 and has called a press conference with the Police Minister Anthony Carbines and Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos for 8am on Monday morning.
The brawl, involving about 10 people, broke out at Northland Shopping Centre just after 2.30pm on Sunday, as two groups of males armed with knives fought each other.
It took police six minutes to descend on the scene after the first call to Triple Zero. The centre went into lockdown, and police wrestled two alleged offenders to the ground.
Police arrived at the shopping centre six minutes after the first call to Triple Zero.Credit: Wayne Taylor
“The [investigation remains] ongoing, but at this stage, it is believed those involved are known to each other,” Victoria Police said.
“Additionally, investigators are keen to speak with anyone in the area at the time and anyone who may have witnessed the altercation.”
Hanaa was sitting at gelato shop Gelatissimo with her three-year-old daughter and filming her eating an ice-cream when she saw men in ski masks appear in the corner of her phone screen.
“We saw a man stabbed and bashed. We saw it all,” she said.
“It was really crazy… There were three guys with machetes and they were hitting two people, one was bleeding from his side.”
Videos and stills on social media show a man wielding a large knife lunging at two other men running towards him. Other posts show police wrestling a man to the ground and people hiding in stores.
Superintendent Kelly Lawson said one machete was found at the scene. There were no firearms involved despite some reports, she said.
Police were aware of an incident between the two groups on Saturday which led to them coming to the centre on Sunday to fight.
Police apprehend someone at Northland following the brawl.Credit: Facebook
“I’ve been advised that this was a planned meet-up,” Lawson said.
“There was an incident that happened yesterday that led to them meeting up today, but I’m not across what that incident was.”
The state government trumpeted passing Australia’s “toughest bail laws” in March and, in the recent budget, revealed new investment in prison capacity. The government has backed down on a plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, instead legislating the age at 12.
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