The father of Fremantle Dockers footballer Des Headland Jnr is living in fear after a vicious and unprovoked coward punch attack outside his own home, with police yet to make an arrest almost two months after the violent incident.
A Suburban Street Shattered by Violence
The quiet of an Aveley street was shattered just after 3:30am when a loud crash woke Des Headland senior and his wife. The 63-year-old grandfather immediately suspected the worst. His vehicle had been rammed by a group of teenagers. When Mr Headland went outside to confront them, the situation escalated rapidly.
"They got a bit archy with me and I told the young one to settle down," Mr Headland recounted. Instead of backing down, one of the teenagers launched a brutal assault. The attacker delivered a coward punch, knocking Mr Headland off his feet before the violence continued.
A Brutal Assault and a Narrow Escape
"(He) pushed me into the brick wall and then — I was still lying on the ground and he picked me up again and threw me into the car door," Mr Headland described. The sustained attack only ceased when a brave neighbour intervened, potentially saving Mr Headland from even more serious injury.
"I don't know how far they would have kept going if he didn't stop them," a shaken Mr Headland stated. "They could have killed me." The grandfather was rushed to hospital where he required five stitches for his injuries.
Healing Scars and Lingering Fear
While his physical wounds are mending, the psychological trauma runs deep. His daughter, Kelly Cameron, said seeing her father injured was devastating. "To see him laying there with those injuries that they caused was just disheartening. I couldn't believe someone did that to him," she said.
Nearly two months on, with no one held responsible, Mr Headland feels unsafe in his own neighbourhood. "Every time I walk outside, I look up and down the road before I even get into my car now when I go to work," he admitted.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, Mr Headland has a direct message for his assailant: "Go and be a man — own up to your mistakes." The case remains under investigation by Western Australia Police.
