A NIGHT out at the movies in Frankston turned ugly for a young man and his girlfriend last week.
Blake Everett, a 19-year-old stand-up comedian from Coburg, and his girlfriend, Alanah Parkin, were walking from the train station to the Hoyts cinema complex in Wells St at about 6pm last Monday evening (6 June) when they passed a group of youths.
One of the youths asked Everett for a cigarette before launching an unprovoked attack on the teen.
Mr Everett, whose Ready Since I Was 5 show debuted at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival this year, took to Facebook the day after the incident to detail the cowardly attack.
“So, last night I got ‘king hit’ in Frankston… that’s the most cliche sentence I never thought I’d say,” he began before describing the previous evening’s assault.
After saying “sorry, don’t have one” to the request for a cigarette Mr Everett said: “Five seconds later, and five metres from the doors of the cinema, I heard some noise and next thing I knew someone had slammed into us and smashed his fist into the front of my head.
“Shocked by the situation, I quickly put my hands up to protect myself as he continued to use my head as a punching bag six-eight more times. I then dropped my bag and managed to move forward away from the situation.”
The attacker, described as “a Maori boy” stole Mr Everett’s bag but “an African boy” stepped forward and handed him the bag back “while holding the Maori boy back”.
Mr Everett and his girlfriend then headed into the cinema building foyer and he momentarily collapsed with blood gushing from a head wound.
Cinema staff helped the couple and witnesses called police.
“Within 20 minutes I was in the back of an ambulance … at the hospital I received seven stitches for my head wound. It’s quite bruised and sore, and I’m glad it was me and not my girlfriend who was hurt. Thanks to all who helped, especially my girlfriend for holding my hand and being there as my head was stitched up.”
Police confirmed a 16-year-old youth was arrested and interviewed about two alleged assaults in Frankston last Monday night including an earlier attack on a 44-year-old man a few minutes before Mr Everett was punched several times on Wells St.
“The teenager was charged with various offences relating to assault and will appear at a children’s court later this month,” police media officer Thomas O’Byrne said.
Channel 9 News reported the arrested teen as being “part of a group that associates itself with the Apex gang”. Police could not verify this information when contacted by The Times.
The young comedian received a serious cut to the head after becoming the victim of a coward’s punch. #9News https://t.co/MkV1pTKvCU
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) June 9, 2016
Before last Monday’s unprovoked attack Mr Everett had previously joked on Facebook in December last year about potentially finding trouble in Frankston.
The self-described “gentle giant” uploaded a photo of himself lying on the ground with apparent fake blood makeup and wrote: “Apparently taking a leisurely stroll through Frankston isn’t a thing one can simply do…”.
Attempts to speak to Mr Everett before publication were unsuccessful.
– with Stephen Taylor
