Man charged over violent robbery



Thursday 21 February 2013

Man charged over violent robbery

A Coral Reef Coaches driver was bashed, kicked, and robbed in a brutal assault and robbery at the rear of the company's offices in Mossman at around 2.30am on Wednesday morning.

Hans Stojkovic was about to begin his shift when confronted by a man who demanded Mr Stojkovic' car keys.

"He started belting the crap out of me. He would have hit me, punched me in the face or head probably about four, five, or six times. You lose count," Mr Stojkovic said.

"I ended up on the ground and rolled into the gutter and he laced into me...kicked me a few times, kicked me in the butt."

The alleged attacker, 25 year-old Kenny Christopher Graham-Beckett from Woree, who will now face Robbery with Personal Violence charges, was then joined by his friends.

"It was only him originally but then there was three of them," Mr Stojkovic said. "They demanded I give them my car keys because they wanted to go to Cairns. I said 'no'. They said 'give us your wallet too' and I point blank refused."

A member of the group then took Mr Stojkovic' work keys, attempted to use them to start his car, and was unsuccessful. Repeated demands for his keys went unfulfilled as Mr Stojkovic' car keys had apparently fallen out of his pocket during the attack.

According to Mr Stojkovic, a fourth man then appeared and urged his friends to leave the scene, which they did, with Mr Stojkovic' mobile phone.

Battered, bruised, and bleeding, Mr Stojkovic took refuge in his work's office until he was able to safely get back into his car and drive to another employee's home for assistance and to notify police.

"I was just shaking. I was very disorientated," he said.

Mr Stojkovic had injuries including a split behind his ear, grazed knees and elbows, and cuts to his back. He received treatment for his injuries at Mossman Hospital before being released later that morning.

The group had driven up from Cairns at around 10pm on Tuesday night, but their unregistered white Ford Falcon station wagon ran out of petrol around five kilometres south of Mossman on the Captain  
Cook Highway.

Mossman CIB Detective Sergeant Trevor Perham told The Newsport yesterday afternoon, as Mr Graham-Beckett was fronting Mossman Magistrates Court, that he expected Mr Graham-Beckett to be remanded in custody pending a further court appearance.

Detective Sergeant Perham said Robbery with Personal Violence was a serious crime which carries a "serious term of imprisonment as a penalty."

The other men present are aged between 18 and 32, are all from Cairns, and will face unrelated charges.

The incident was captured on Mossman CBD CCTV.