Fifth person charged over St Kilda police assault
A fifth person has been charged in relation to what police described as a disgusting and barbaric attack on officers in St Kilda in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A 26-year-old St Kilda man was arrested in Prahran on Monday afternoon, charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, violent disorder, affray, two counts of intentionally causing injury and assault by kicking.
He has been remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.
Three men and a woman have already been charged after an officer was allegedly "ragdolled" and had his head smashed into the ground while another was seriously injured during the incident on Fitzroy Street.
The attack occurred when police were called to an incident just before 3am after reports of an assault of a homeless woman.
Yesterday Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said police were still hunting for a man in a brown shirt wearing a hat who was seen spitting on officers as the assault unfolded. It is unclear whether the fifth person arrested yesterday is the man who spat on officers.
Langwarrin woman Kayla Potts, 25, was released on bail yesterday. She allegedly punched a police officer in the head as he tried to arrest her brother.
The court heard the group, including Ms Potts' fiance, plumber Jack Houldcroft, 27, had attended a 30th birthday party at a licensed venue when they were involved in a verbal altercation with two men.
When a transgender person intervened, Ms Potts' brother, Trent Potts, allegedly kicked them in the genitals.
Two police officers then arrived, asking Mr Potts to step away from a taxi so they could establish what had happened, before he fled the scene and police gave chase.
One of the officers caught up with Mr Potts, the court heard, while the other fell over at a tram stop on Fitzroy Street.
Mr Potts is then alleged to have tried to fight with the officer before Ms Potts came from the side and attacked him. The officer then struck Ms Potts with a Maglite torch, splitting her head open, the court heard.
A fourth man, Phillip O'Donnell, allegedly attacked one officer from behind before hitting his head into the ground six times.
The officer sustained a ruptured bicep, requiring hospital treatment and surgery.
The other officer, in his 50s, was taken to Epworth Hospital and released with facial swelling, cuts and bruising to his forehead.
Mr Patton said the use of the term "animals" to describe the alleged offenders was "totally appropriate".
Ms Potts and Mr Houldcroft will next appear in court on June 3, while Mr Potts and Mr O'Donnell had their bail applications adjourned until today.
With Melissa Cunningham