Vicious thugs bash father-of-three army veteran as his wife can only watch in horror after he bravely stepped in to stop a young woman being assaulted in a Melbourne park
The moment a group of thugs sets upon a father-of-three after he stepped in to help a young woman from being assaulted in Melbourne has been caught on video.
The shocking footage shows military veteran Ben Woolley, in the the red jacket, attempting to intervene to protect the woman as he walked through a park in Pakenham on December 2.
The group then turns on the 44-year-old, viciously punching, kicking, and hitting him with metal bars after he is already knocked to the ground, while his distraught wife watches on.
The footage shows the group allegedly attacking Mr Woolley after he stepped in to assist a woman in Pakenham on December 2
'I saw a female being attacked by this gang and I ran over and tried to break it up,' Mr Woolley told the Herald Sun.
A month later he has limited eyesight and is slowly recovering from a broken nose, cuts, bruises, cracked ribs, damaged teeth, and internal bleeding sustained in the violent attack.
'They kept hitting me with steel bars and umbrellas ... I tried to hold my own but it was eight against one ... They kept saying "kill him" it was unbelievable.' Mr Woolley said.
One person, an 18-year-old female from Pakenham, has been charged with intentionally and recklessly cause serious injury, affray and commit indictable offence while on bail.
Others allegedly involved remain at large with Victoria Police asking the public for assistance to locate them.
Mr Woolley suffered cracked ribs and a broken nose in the attack
Mr Woolley said crime was an increasing issue in the south-east Melbourne suburb and he regularly witnessed groups loitering in the area - yelling and smashing bottles.
His partner Jessica Sherrie said Mr Woolley is an 'honourable' man who served in the Australian Army for more than ten years.
'It was absolutely traumatic seeing my partner who I love very much get assaulted, I cried out for them to stop many times but they wouldn't,' Ms Sherrie said, after being forced to watch the brutal attack.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers via the website or 1800 333 000.
Police are hunting the members of the group that allegedly attacked the army veteran