'Hero' stops alley bashing

Julie Lightfoot

Monday, July 14, 2008

A VISITING tradie has been hailed a hero after coming to the rescue of a Cairns man who was being mugged and viciously beaten in the inner city.

Sydneysider Glen Carnell did not hesitate when he saw two men attacking another man and one of them hitting him over the head with a lump of wood outside the Rydges Plaza Cairns car park about 1am yesterday.

"They were belting the shit out of him … he was staggering around all covered in blood and then one guy got a lump of wood about three foot long and belted him straight over the back of the head," Mr Carnell said.

The visiting insulation contractor, who is staying at the hotel, was driving back into the carpark about 1am when he saw the mugging at its Grafton St entrance.

Mr Carnell switched his headlights to full beam, blasted his horn and yelled to the injured man to jump into his ute. When he did not respond, he picked the man up and bundled him into the ute’s tray.

He then raced through the roller doors and into the secure carpark while the injured man’s attackers dropped their weapon and ran off.

"I saw them head for Grafton St (but) I just wanted to get him (injured man) away from them," Mr Carnell said.

"He was in a pretty shocking state, and terrified. I laid him on the ground, rang police and the ambulance and tried to calm him."

A 22-year-old Cairns man was treated for head injuries at Cairns Base Hospital but was able to return home yesterday.

He told police the two men demanded his wallet, mobile telephone and necklace and when he refused they attacked him.

Police are appealing to anyone with information to help them track down the attackers described as in their 20s, one a Caucasian, the other of Aboriginal descent with a dark-hooded jumper.

<strong>Good Samaritan: </strong>Glen Carnell with the lump of wood used to attack a mugging victim.

Good Samaritan: Glen Carnell with the lump of wood used to attack a mugging victim.

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