A 22-year-old Hoppers Crossing man, who allegedly drove over a friend’s head and shoulders after a brawl at Yarraville, has been denied bail.
Magistrate Robert Kumar described the charges against Ben Cook as “very serious”.
Cook appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday night charged with attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury, and reckless conduct endangering life, among other charges.
The charges arise from a brawl that erupted outside a Yarraville pub about 1.30am that morning. The court heard that Cook and his co-accused, Jack Harris, 21, also from Hoppers Crossing, had been celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday at a hotel when a fight broke out.
FIRST ON 9: CCTV has captured the moment a man was struck by a car following a brawl outside a Yarraville Pub. @kieranjones_9 in #9News pic.twitter.com/npCcURt4yL
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) March 18, 2017
Security evicted the men to the carpark, where a series of fights ensued.
Documents tendered to the court said Cook, Harris and another man jumped in a car and drove toward a group of men.
Later, CCTV footage appeared to show a vehicle, allegedly driven by Cook, drive over a man lying on the ground, before speeding off.
The man was rushed to the Royal Melbourne hospital in a critical condition – his condition has since been upgraded to stable.
Cook and Harris fled the scene and were later arrested by police.
Cook told the court the victim was a friend, and he had tried to swerve out of the way when he saw the body lying on the road.
“What occurred was completely unintentional,” he said. “I’m traumatised … there’s no way I’d intentionally want to kill someone, let alone my mate.”
Harris was also charged with numerous assault charges, committing an indictable offence while on bail and other driving related offences, including drink driving.
Both men were remanded in custody to reappear in court today (March 22).
