West Footscray man charged over “Egg Boy” assault

By Benjamin Millar

Police have charged a West Footscray man following an assault in Moorabbin last month on a youth who had earlier struck controversial Senator Fraser Anning with an egg at a white-supremacist rally.

Police on Tuesday interviewed the 20-year-old in relation to the repeated kicking of 17-year-old Hampton boy Will Connolly, dubbed “Egg Boy” over the March 16 incident, the day after the Christchurch terror attack.

He has been released and will be charged on summons with assault by kicking.

Anning was struck with the egg after receiving world-wide criticism for his claims Muslims were “not blameless” for the Christchurch mosque shootings, which killed 50 people and injured dozens more.

He retaliated by slapping Connolly to the head and aiming another blow before losing balance.

Connolly was being restrained by supporters of the Senator at the time he was allegedly kicked by the West Footscray 20-year-old.

Bayside Crime Investigation Unit detectives concluded their investigation into the March 16 incident on Tuesday by issuing Connolly with an official caution.

After reviewing CCTV footage of the incident and interviewing both parties, a decision was made not to charge the Queensland Senator.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said on assessment of all the circumstances, the Senator’s actions were treated as self-defence and there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.