Australia Day spoilt

Cottesloe resident Ross Taylor (62) witnessed teenagers being chased from the beach east up John Street about 2.30pm.

‘One kid, about 18, collapsed with blood around his stomach near the John Street Cafe,’ Mr Taylor said.

A cafe staff member, who did not want to be named, helped an Aboriginal victim, before other youths ran off when police arrived.

The cafe closed to protect its customers.

Police found about 100 youths brawling at the Marine Parade-John Street intersection, after fighting started near the Indiana restaurant.

‘There were bricks, rocks and bottles being thrown and chairs from the nearby fish and chip shop,’ Senior-Constable Dixie Johnson said.

A Jolimont youth lost four teeth in the brawl, a man (18) was treated at Fremantle Hospital for a deep cut to his leg, a youth suffered a cut above his knee from a bottle, another had a rock thrown in his face and others were punched.

Police do not believe the beach brawl is connected to an incident where about 200 youths were drinking and smashing bottles at Manners Hill Park, Peppermint Grove.

Officers dispersed the crowd about 9.20pm.

Peppermint Grove chief executive John Merrick said council staff spent several hours removing broken bottles and broken tree limbs the next day, but there were no reports of damage to private property.

Cottesloe police charged an East Victoria Park youth (16) and a Kensington teenager (17) by summons last Friday for organising an out-of-control party.

Cottesloe police are also investigating the suspected assault of a Hamilton Hill man (19) who has a fractured jaw after an incident on the south side of Stirling Highway, opposite Hungry Jack’s Claremont, between 1am and 3am on January 27.

See Streetwatch, page 12