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War veteran who stepped in to stop a gang attacking a helpless child and was BRUTALLY bashed opens up on his torment, the harrowing questions he asked when he woke up - and how it made his kids feel afraid

A war hero who was knocked unconscious while trying to stop a young girl from being bashed by 15 gang members now suffers debilitating headaches that leave him thrashing around in agony.

Ben Woolley was unloading shopping from his car outside the family home in Pakenham, east of Melbourne, at 7.30pm on January 2 when his partner Jessica Davies noticed a girl being attacked in a park opposite their home.

Without thinking, the father dashed over to stop the assault and shouted at the group to 'stop fighting' more than 100 times.

While the group of Sudanese nationals stopped attacking the helpless girl, who the 44-year-old described as a Caucasian teenager, the gang diverted their attention to him.

Pictured: Ben Woolley and Jessica Davies, who were both attacked by a Sudanese gang

Pictured: Ben Woolley and Jessica Davies, who were both attacked by a Sudanese gang

Pictured: The horrific attack on Mr Woolley, 44, who tried to save an innocent girl from being beaten

Pictured: The horrific attack on Mr Woolley, 44, who tried to save an innocent girl from being beaten

'At that point they started to circle around me,' Mr Woolley told Daily Mail Australia. 

'One smashed me over the back of the head with the hard end of the umbrella, but I thought that was just one person, so I kept trying to split the crowd and stop them from attacking.'

Shocking footage captured by Ms Davies showed the moment the gang pounced and began their attack, beating him over the head and coming from every direction.

'F*** him up, b***h,' the female gang members could be heard screaming. 

Mr Woolley tried to fight back, but every time he regained consciousness after being punched he was knocked out again.

'Two men then came over while I was unconscious and the women were shouting to the men "kill him",' he said.

Mr Woolley served in the Australian Army for 10 years. He is pictured with two of his three biological children, Elijah and Amaya when they were younger

Mr Woolley served in the Australian Army for 10 years. He is pictured with two of his three biological children, Elijah and Amaya when they were younger

Pictured: Mr Woolley's injuriesMr Woolley has two black eyes

Pictured: Mr Woolley after the attack. He suffered multiple cuts and bruises, broken ribs and a broken nose

Ms Davies (pictured with Mr Wolley after the attack) was sure her loving partner would die

Ms Davies (pictured with Mr Wolley after the attack) was sure her loving partner would die

'I'm certain they were trying do to that because they kept stomping on my head and repeatedly punched in the face. I thought I was going to die.'

One woman approached Ms Davies and asked her to put the camera down, claiming the stoush was a 'family matter'. 

Ms Davies had to stop filming when she was punched in the back of the head. 

When she looked over towards their family home, she realised Xavier, 7, Zariah, 6, and Aaliyah, 3, were watching their mother and step-father getting mauled by the gang. 

Pictured: Mr Woolley with Xavier, 7, Zariah (left), 6, and Aaliyah (centre), 3

Pictured: Mr Woolley with Xavier, 7, Zariah , 6, and Aaliyah , 3

Pictured: The attack in the parkPictured: Police at the scene

Mr Woolley tried to fight back but he was severely outnumbered. Police soon attended the scene

Ms Davies said emergency workers had to convince him that he wasn't serving the army anymore, before he started asking for her

Ms Davies said emergency workers had to convince him that he wasn't serving the army anymore, before he started asking for her

Zariah later said: 'Is Ben going to be dead forever?' because all she could see was her loving father figure lying motionless in the park. 

When he awoke in an ambulance, Mr Woolley, whose three biological children are stuck in Canada with their mother during the pandemic, was convinced he was on the battle ground and started asking paramedics for his old military friends.

Ms Davies said emergency workers had to convince him that he wasn't serving the army anymore, before he started asking for her.

She explained that her partner was initially unresponsive as he lay beaten and bruised in the dirt, before he started making gurgling sounds.

'It was so traumatic. I thought that he was going to die and I just prayed.' 

Pictured: Mr Woolley with his step-daughter Aaliyah, 3, before the attack that almost rendered him incapacitated

Pictured: Mr Woolley with his step-daughter Aaliyah, 3, before the attack that almost rendered him incapacitated

Mr Woolley (pictured with Zariah, right, and Aaliyah, left )has been unable to spend any quality time with the children during the school holidays and has missed countless family events

Mr Woolley (pictured with Zariah, right, and Aaliyah, left )has been unable to spend any quality time with the children during the school holidays and has missed countless family events

Despite the cracked ribs, a broken nose, partial vision loss in the left eye, pressure behind his now black eyes, and a body riddled with cuts, Mr Woolley said the worst side-effect has been the debilitating cluster headaches. 

Though he began suffering from cluster headaches, which he described as 'like a hot poker is stabbing me in the eye', when he was too close to a bomb blast during his 10 years in the army, the attack has made them much worse.

'They're not like normal headaches where you sit and hold your head - they're much worse. I thrash around in pain,' he said.

'I used to get them a couple of times a week, but now they're happening a few times a day.'

As a result, Mr Woolley has been unable to spend any quality time with the children during the school holidays and has missed countless family events.

The couple have not been able to hug because of Mr Woolley's cracked ribs or kiss because of his swollen lips

The couple have not been able to hug because of Mr Woolley's cracked ribs or kiss because of his swollen lips

Pictured: The children playing in a park before Mr Woolley was attacked in January

Pictured: The children playing in a park before Mr Woolley was attacked in January

Ms Davies said the couple can't hug due to the cracked ribs, or kiss because the father's lips are so swollen.

'It's taken a huge toll, and we keep getting flashbacks and keep having nightmares,' she said.

The couple are also frightened that he will develop pneumonia due to the cracked ribs.

'He has a history of pneumonia and was once hospitalised for it. Because it's so painful for him to cough at the moment, we're worried it will come back.'

Ms Davies' children are also now too scared to go to the park opposite their home, and will often run to their parents screaming 'there are Sudanese people in the park'.

'We've had to explain to them that the problem isn't Sudanese people, but some people of all nationalities aren't always nice,' Ms Davies said.

To help support the family during Mr Woolley's recovery, Ms Davies set up a Go Fund Me page.

Mr Wooley has three biological children who he 'misses dearly' because two are stuck in Canada with their mother due to the pandemic

Mr Wooley has three biological children who he 'misses dearly' because two are stuck in Canada with their mother due to the pandemic

The couple agreed that the community has 'had enough' of rough gangs in the area and have called for police intervention. Pcitured: Mr Woolley with Ms Davies' children

The couple agreed that the community has 'had enough' of rough gangs in the area and have called for police intervention. Pcitured: Mr Woolley with Ms Davies' children

The couple agreed that the community has 'had enough' of gangs in the area and have called for police intervention.

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. 

An 18-year-old woman has been charged with intentionally and recklessly cause serious injury, affray and commit indictable offence while on bail. 

She faced Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 3 January and was remanded until 19 January.

Others allegedly involved remain at large with Victoria Police asking the public for assistance to locate them.   

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers via the website or 1800 333 000. 

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