EIGHT people including four juveniles have been charged over a spree of violent armed robberies on taxi drivers across Laverton North, Brooklyn and Sunshine.
An 18-year-old Sunshine man faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday, charged with armed robbery and attempted armed robbery.
Police said four alleged offenders, aged 14-17, have been remanded in custody to face a children’s court – all on at least four charges of armed robbery.
A 19-year-old Derrimut man was also remanded in custody to face the Melbourne Magistrates Court today after being charged with similar offences in an out-of-sessions hearing last night.
A 20-year-old Truganina man and a 21-year-old Westmeadows man were charged with handling stolen goods and bailed by police, while a 16-year-old Kings Park girl was released pending further inquiries.
Brimbank’s Superintendent Rick Nugent said the age of the young people allegedly involved in the violence was “extremely concerning”. He said an eight-member taskforce, set up to hunt those responsible, had raided four houses in the western suburbs yesterday morning.
Five drivers were targeted in a spate of attacks when a group of people in two cars ambushed them in the early hours of Monday morning. Police said the alleged attackers threatened and beat the drivers with baseball bats, demanding money and mobile phones.
Two victims were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The spree started at midnight on Anderson Road, Sunshine, before another four taxi drivers were attacked in surrounding suburbs, with the last incident at 1.30am.
In the first incident, the attackers allegedly boxed in a taxi and smashed its windows and panels before demanding the driver hand over his wallet and cash.
During the next 75 minutes, four more attacks were reported in Somerville Road, Brooklyn, Fitzgerald Road in Laverton North, Duke Street in Sunshine and Bradman Street in Sunshine North.
A 46-year-old taxi driver from Hoppers Crossing suffered a broken arm during an attack in Laverton North, while a 27-year-old driver attacked in Sunshine North sustained head injuries.
Victorian Taxi Association spokesman David Samuel said the high incidence of assaults on Melbourne taxi drivers, about 40 a month, demonstrated the need for a government-funded community awareness campaign.
‘‘All the right reactionary measures are in place; our booking companies have alarms in cars, protective shields and pre-paid fares late at night, so there’s very little more we can do.
‘‘The community needs to have a look at itself and see how little we respect our taxi drivers.’’
Western Suburban Taxis manager Anne Hutchinson said she was ‘‘devastated’’ that innocent taxi drivers had been attacked while doing their jobs.
