Monday, November 28, 2005
Schoolie bashing can't spoil Victor's party fun
The Advertiser - 28nov05
THE bashing of a school leaver by a gang of "toolies" has marred a successful weekend of schoolies celebrations at Victor Harbor.
Simon Wegener, 18, of Angle Vale, will spend the rest of his schoolies week in the Flinders Medical Centre, recovering from injuries suffered when he was assaulted by a group of seven adults.
The assault was the only serious blemish related to the celebration, where thousands of young people enjoyed themselves.
Mr Wegener and two friends, Sam Montgomerie and Matthew Brooks, both 18, were walking into Victor Harbor about 9pm on Saturday when a fight broke out on the corner of Victoria Rd and Bay Rd.
"We walked past this group of people and a comment was taken the wrong way," Mr Wegener said.
"We were about 200m down the road when about seven guys caught up to us and before we knew it, we were all on the deck."
Mr Wegener suffered a broken cheek, broken nose, swelling and bruising. He will undergo surgery and is expected to remain in hospital until at least Thursday.
The behaviour of so-called "toolies", older people who crash schoolies events, has been a problem again this year in Victor Harbor as 6000 school leavers wind down.
On the Gold Coast, up to 10,000 people converged on Surfers Paradise on Saturday night for the country's biggest schoolies festival, where police arrested 89 people, but only 17 were schoolies.
From his hospital bed in Adelaide yesterday, Mr Wegener said: "There were six big guys on to the three of us and they were punching and kicking me in the head," Mr Wegener said.
The fight ended when an ambulance crew approached the scene and the seven men ran off. Mr Wegener was taken to Victor Harbor hospital then transferred to Flinders Medical Centre. Mr Montgomerie and Mr Brooks suffered minor injuries. Police had arrested 20 people in the town since Friday, mostly adults.
Superintendent Michael Cornish said police were generally pleased with the behaviour of school leavers. He said police were investigating an alleged sexual assault involving two people who were not part of the schoolies festivities.
Various incidents of vandalism, including broken windows, were reported, but Victor Harbor Mayor Scott Schubert was pleased.
"I would say it has improved about 1000 per cent," he said.
THE bashing of a school leaver by a gang of "toolies" has marred a successful weekend of schoolies celebrations at Victor Harbor.
Simon Wegener, 18, of Angle Vale, will spend the rest of his schoolies week in the Flinders Medical Centre, recovering from injuries suffered when he was assaulted by a group of seven adults.
The assault was the only serious blemish related to the celebration, where thousands of young people enjoyed themselves.
Mr Wegener and two friends, Sam Montgomerie and Matthew Brooks, both 18, were walking into Victor Harbor about 9pm on Saturday when a fight broke out on the corner of Victoria Rd and Bay Rd.
"We walked past this group of people and a comment was taken the wrong way," Mr Wegener said.
"We were about 200m down the road when about seven guys caught up to us and before we knew it, we were all on the deck."
Mr Wegener suffered a broken cheek, broken nose, swelling and bruising. He will undergo surgery and is expected to remain in hospital until at least Thursday.
The behaviour of so-called "toolies", older people who crash schoolies events, has been a problem again this year in Victor Harbor as 6000 school leavers wind down.
On the Gold Coast, up to 10,000 people converged on Surfers Paradise on Saturday night for the country's biggest schoolies festival, where police arrested 89 people, but only 17 were schoolies.
From his hospital bed in Adelaide yesterday, Mr Wegener said: "There were six big guys on to the three of us and they were punching and kicking me in the head," Mr Wegener said.
The fight ended when an ambulance crew approached the scene and the seven men ran off. Mr Wegener was taken to Victor Harbor hospital then transferred to Flinders Medical Centre. Mr Montgomerie and Mr Brooks suffered minor injuries. Police had arrested 20 people in the town since Friday, mostly adults.
Superintendent Michael Cornish said police were generally pleased with the behaviour of school leavers. He said police were investigating an alleged sexual assault involving two people who were not part of the schoolies festivities.
Various incidents of vandalism, including broken windows, were reported, but Victor Harbor Mayor Scott Schubert was pleased.
"I would say it has improved about 1000 per cent," he said.
