Backpackers’ alleged attacker beat prostitute
A MAN charged with a vicious hammer attack in Australia that has left two Irish backpackers fighting for their lives was previously jailed for assaulting a prostitute.
The details of Australian Luke James Wentholt’s violent past emerged as the 31-year-old was brought before the courts yesterday charged with the assault on the two men in a normally quiet Melbourne suburb. The accused previously served a prison sentence for viciously attacking a Chinese prostitute in 2008 in Cairns.
Meanwhile, Dubliners David Greene and David Byas are believed to have only been in Australia a short time. Mr Greene is from the south Dublin subburb of Cabinteely and is the more seriously injured of the two. His condition was last night described as ‘critical’. The victims are both in their 20s and suffered severe upper body and head injuries during the attack at a boarding house on Lynedoch Avenue at 1am on Sunday. Wentholt, of St Kilda East, was charged with two counts of intentionally causing serious injury, two counts of recklessly causing serious injury and other related offences. He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until October 8 next.
There was blood on Lynedoch Avenue after the attack. Wentholt was arrested after he went to hospital to get treatment for injuries a few hours following the incident.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to the men’s families through the Irish embassy in Canberra. They may now opt to travel to Australia. The men are receiving treatment at the Alfred Hospital. It is believed that the attack was unprovoked. The accused man fled the scene after the hammer attack and it is unclear whether he was also staying at the boarding house.
There was so much blood shed at the scene that industrial cleaners were brought in to clean up the hostel after the savage attack.
The accused was convicted in 2009 of savagely beating a prostitute. The Chinese woman was robbed by Wentholt and dumped in a wardrobe after the attack the year before. Wentholt was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail for robbery with violence in a Cairns apartment.
The court heard Wentholt booked in with the woman after seeing her newspaper advertisement, then paid $170 (€141) cash up-front as arranged, but after 20 minutes into the session, demanded a refund.
When she refused a refund, he became infuriated and began hitting her.