According to Inspector Kim Traynor from Griffith Local Area Command, a 38-year-old man was causing trouble along Middleton Avenue prompting several calls to police.

At about 5.45pm, the man was walking along the middle of the road when a car slowed down to drive around him. The man punched the rear window of the car but did not cause any damage.

Inspector Traynor said the man then approached a 68-year-old man who was walking his dog and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. The younger man continued attacking the older man until the older man’s brother came to his defence, the pair managing to finally fend off the attacker.

Police were responding to a disturbance nearby when the 38-year-old saw the driver of the car he had punched standing in front of a house talking to a man who lived there.

Inspector Traynor said the younger man went up to the car he had punched and hit it with his forearm, shattering the rear window and causing a massive cut to his arm. He then went up to the two men in front of the house and punched the resident in the face. The 38-year-old then walked off towards another house when police arrived on the scene. 

“He was seen to be armed with a large, black-handled knife,” Inspector Traynor said.

“Officers told him to drop the knife and they negotiated with him before he walked into the front yard of a house, threw the knife at the front of the house and sat down on the front step. Police were then able to take the man into custody.”

The 38-year-old was taken to Griffith Police Station and charged with several offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, malicious damage, common assault and possessing a knife in a public place.

The man was formally refused bail in Griffith Local Court on Sunday. He will appear in court again on Monday, February 8.