Sydney hammer attack leaves South Korean man and 2 Thais injured
A South Korean man and two Thai nationals were injured in a hammer attack in Sydney, Australia, on February 18, after they were assaulted by three people while walking home from a party.
The incident occurred at about 3am as the 23 year old South Korean man, identified as Dave, walked with two Thai friends aged 28 and 29. Reports said the three were approached by the attackers after arriving at a convenience store at the intersection of Liverpool and Pitt streets in Sydney.
Dave was reported to be in Australia on a working holiday visa and had arrived in the country about a week before the assault. The two Thai nationals, whose names were not disclosed, were reported to be in Australia on student visas.
A Thai news blogger wrote on the Facebook page Pthai พี่ไท that the two Thai nationals had been in Australia for some time and worked at a restaurant in Thai Town, where they met Dave. The blogger said the Thai men volunteered to show him around because they had arrived earlier.
The case drew wider attention after Dave posted a photo of his injuries on social media with the caption: “Two days ago … I almost got killed with a hammer.” A video of the incident was also shared by a witness, Chris Itgma.
After the incident attracted public attention, Dave told Australian outlet 7NEWS that the attackers first approached one of his Thai friends and tried to provoke a confrontation. He said he intervened, and the attackers then targeted him instead.
The witness, identified as Chris, told the media that he was at the gym when he saw the confrontation. He said the two sides had a brief argument before the situation escalated. Chris reported hearing phrases including, “Do you want to fight my friend?” and “What? You want to fight my friend?”
Footage of the incident showed two attackers repeatedly kicking and punching Dave and striking him with a hammer. Some Thai media outlets reported that the Thai nationals tried to help him and were injured during the assault.
The attackers fled before officers from New South Wales Police arrived, according to reports. All three victims were given first aid at the scene, but only Dave sought further medical treatment in the following days due to pain in his face and back.
Despite the assault, Dave told the media he did not hate Australia and said the incident made him stronger. He also said he did not defend himself in the video because he believed fighting was never a good thing.
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