Two Iraqi students bashed on street in Acacia Ridge

Brlsbane

Mark Oberhardt
January 11, 2010 11:58am
TWO Iraqi men escaped the violence of their war-torn homeland only to be bashed in a Brisbane suburban street, a court heard today.
The District Court in Brisbane heard the men came to Brisbane to study after helping the Australian and American armies as guides and interpreters.

Prosecutor Melita Aylward said the men were able to get visas to Australia because of their work in Iraq and had wanted to come because they felt Australia was a "safe place".

"One of the men was so upset he suspended his English studies but he has since returned to them," she told the court.

Ms Aylward detailed how the two men were walking to a service station supermarket near their home at Acacia Ridge, on Brisbane's southside.

They were approached by a man from a group of men who spoke with them but they had continued to walk faster.

Ms Alyward said eventually two men attacked the Iraqis knocking them to the ground where they were punched and kicked.

A mobile phone was stolen from one of the men. They both suffered bruising and scratches.

One of the attackers, Samson Reginald Mackie, 20, of Mt Gravatt, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occassioning bodily and one count of stealing from a person, on January 20, last year.

Barrister Angus Edwards, for Mackie, said his client had an anger management problem when he had been drinking and thought racism was involved.

He said Mackie had misunderstood the men's actions and felt they were being racist but now accepted there were not.

Mr Edwards said if Mackie had not been drinking the incident would not have happened.

He said Mackie would benefit from probation as he had only minor previous convictions and had stayed out of trouble since the incident.

Judge Terry Martin, SC, said it was another serious example of street violence but through "sheer luck" the victims had not received serious injuries.

"The only thing keeping you from a jail term is your youthfulness and the fact the victims were not seriously hurt," he said.

Judge Martin sentenced Mackie to 18 months probation and 200 hours community service.