Shopping centre brawl sharpens focus on bail laws blitz
Shoppers and workers ran for their lives when a wild fight broke out between rival gangs armed with machetes at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne's north on Sunday afternoon.
A man, 20, was hospitalised with serious head injuries following the violence which is suspected to have involved about 10 people.
One of the alleged machete attackers was pinned to the ground in a daring citizen's arrest.
It's been revealed two boys, aged 15 and 16, and man, 20, who have been charged over the brawl, were on bail.
Another man, 18, has also been charged while police are confident they will soon arrests three others who they say are on the run.
The violence prompted an immediate ban on the sale of machetes longer than 20 centimetres from noon on Wednesday.
Possessing the weapons will be outlawed as planned from September followed by a three-month amnesty period.
Harsher bail laws came into effect in April to respond to surging youth crime, aggravated burglaries and car thefts, which Premier Jacinta Allan described as "tough" legislation.
Hundreds of people ran in fear during Sunday's brawl that "simply shouldn't happen", Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said.
"It devastates me to think that if we have the toughest bail laws in Victoria then how could that have happened?" Mr Gatt told reporters on Monday.
"When those people find their way to court and if courts find those proper guilty ... courts need look at those images, consider the faces on those Victorians, and start to sentence accordingly."
"That's what needs to change.
"Because ultimately that is really the only thing that's going to stop this sort of behaviour in its tracks."
Opposition Leader Brad Battin took aim at the laws, saying community safety must be prioritised.
"This is yet another example of Labor's weak justice system failing Victorians," Mr Battin said.
"To learn that three of the four arrested over the Northland machete attack were out on bail is outrageous and completely unacceptable."
Victoria Police Superintendent Kelly Lawson said the brawl did not happen at random, telling reporters rival gangs had arranged a meeting at the centre's food court before the fight erupted.
"It is said to have been an act of retaliation," she said.
The two teens charged over the attack did not apply for bail as they faced court on Monday charged with affray, intentionally causing injury, using a controlled weapon without lawful excuse and affray while on bail.
One will return to court later this week and the other in June.
A Bundoora man, 18, has been charged with affray and intentionally causing injury while a Thornbury man, 20, was hit with the same charges and committing an indictable offence on bail.
They were each granted bail on Tuesday and will next face court in July.
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