A Melbourne father who bravely stepped in to break up a fight has described his attacker as "cowardly" after the violent incident left him with a fractured eye socket and ruined his Christmas.
A Father's Attempt to Help Turns Violent
Ryan Isles, 38, was with his 13-year-old son at a Beaconsfield shopping centre in Melbourne's south-east on the evening of November 28 when he noticed two men fighting in the car park. In an attempt to intervene and stop the altercation, Isles instead drew the ire of one of the combatants.
The situation escalated rapidly. The offender, described as a Caucasian man around 40 years old, bald, and wearing a blue shirt with khaki shorts, allegedly waited for Isles to look away before striking him. "The behaviour of the offender is extremely disgusting and disturbing," said Senior Constable Sam Kung of Victoria Police.
Isles was elbowed and punched, causing him to fall and hit his head on the concrete. The impact was severe, fracturing his eye socket and rendering him unconscious.
Recovery and Lasting Impact
The violent attack had immediate and severe consequences for the father. He required surgery to install plates in his cheekbone and faced a difficult recovery. His Christmas plans were thrown into disarray, as he was limited to drinking through a straw during the holiday period.
"I thought I was doing the right thing," Isles said. "Unfortunately, it ended with me getting hit. It's disappointing, especially when it wasn't my fight." He also suffers from memory loss of the event due to concussion and is concerned that nerve damage and numbness on the right side of his face may be permanent.
Despite the traumatic event, Isles praised the quick thinking of his teenage son, who called triple zero and provided crucial information to first responders. "We're so proud, both me and (his) mum," he said.
Police Appeal for Public Assistance
Following the assault, both the offender and the other man involved in the initial fight fled the scene before emergency services arrived. Despite the release of CCTV footage and a facial composite image, investigators have been unable to identify the primary attacker.
Police are now urgently appealing to the public for fresh information. Senior Constable Kung directly addressed the offender, stating: "Turn yourself in. What has occurred, has occurred, but now it's up to the offender now to make himself known so he can explain his version of events and assist us with our inquiries."
Charges of assault are expected. Kung implored anyone with information, no matter how small, to contact Crime Stoppers or their local police station to help bring the individual to justice.
