‘Five in revenge attack’

THE father of one of five men accused of assaulting an Ormeau family claims the alleged victims threatened to kill him hours earlier.

Joshua Small, Richard Anderson, Alan Hepburn, his brother Robert Hepburn, and Nikolaus Blython, were charged with grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning bodily harm while armed in company after a brawl at a Jonquil St property about 2.40pm on November 13, 2016.

They appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday and were committed to stand trial in the District Court on a date yet to be set.

The group was charged after Small’s family held a graduation party where an Osbourne family member got into an altercation with Small.

The next day, the Osbornes allegedly returned to the address and assaulted Small.

Police allege the five accused then went to the Osbornes’ Ormeau address and attacked the family with wood palings and sticks.

During yesterday’s committal hearing, Small’s father, Patrick Small, told the court the Osbornes threatened to kill the Smalls when they turned up at their home and allegedly attacked Joshua Small with a rubber mallet on November 13.

When questioned by lawyer for all five men, Michael Gatenby, Mr Small told the court the Osbornes said they would come back and kill his family.

Mr Small told Mr Gatenby he had been unable to work for several weeks after the incident and his wife had undergone surgery following the alleged attack by the Osbornes.

The charges against the five men relate to the alleged attack on the Osbornes.