The horrifying footage showed one of the police officers being 'ragdolled'. Photo / Victoria Police
The horrifying footage showed one of the police officers being 'ragdolled'. Photo / Victoria Police
It's been a week since a terrified passer-by filmed the moment two Victorian police officers were surrounded by six people and brutally attacked in a Melbourne street.
The mobile phone footage drew a furious reaction right around Australia and police had swooped on the alleged attackers in less than aday, charging the first four on Monday, nabbing a fifth on Tuesday and arresting and charging the sixth a day later.
The horrifying fight kicked off around 3am on Sunday morning after police were called to reports a transgender woman had been assaulted outside a venue in the beachside suburb of St Kilda.
Police allege Trent Potts, 27, was the one who had assaulted the woman but when the two officers attempted to arrest him, they found themselves surrounded.
The horrifying footage showed one of the police officers being 'ragdolled'. Photo / Victoria Police
It is alleged Potts, his sister Kayla Potts, her fiance Jack Houldcroft, their relative Phillip O'Donnell, musician Jules Tobin and a 26-year-old man from Frankston surrounded the cops.
The fight ended with both police officers being rushed to hospital after one was repeatedly "rag-dolled" on the road and the other had his bicep torn in the scuffle.
The group were all arrested and charged with an array of offences.
Houldcroft is the only one of the six who was not allowed to walk free from Melbourne Magistrates Court this week.
Prosecutors argued against bail, insisting the group was a threat to public safety but Magistrate Andrew McKenna allowed them to go free despite describing the incident as "appalling".
Victoria Police minister Lisa Neville also admitted she was "disappointed" in the Magistrate's decision.
"I could almost not watch it, it was just appalling," Neville said, referring to the mobile phone footage.
"It is a matter for the court and this is their decision process. I would have to back the police here in opposing bail. I was disappointed this afternoon."
Both police officers were left severely battered and bruised after the attack but have since been released from hospital.
Even the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews weighed in on the attack, calling it "disgusting".
"We've got no time for this, no tolerance for it and I'm confident Victoria Police will be doing the work necessary to see those people face the full force of new laws I'm very proud to have written," he said.
All six have also almost completely wiped their social media after dozens of Aussies started to post their addresses online.
The six accused now face a long three months to their next court appearance in June as they face intense public scrutiny over the alleged assault.
Here is the group allegedly behind the attack — if convicted, all parties face a mandatory six months in jail for assaulting an emergency worker.
TRENT POTTS, 27
Trent Potts was charged with assaulting the police and granted bail.
The court this week heard that Potts is alleged to have kicked off the whole fight after he kneed a transgender woman in the groin outside the Fitzroy St venue.
Police were called and when the two officers started to arrest him, he allegedly tried to run away.
The policemen chased him down however one stumbled on the way.
The court heard Potts turned to the other officer and "shaped up", resulting in a physical fight between the two.
Senior Constable Jacob Laidlaw told the Melbourne Magistrates' Court yesterday that Potts began punching the officer in the chest.
Senior Constable Jacob Laidlaw told the Melbourne Magistrates' Court earlier this week that Trent Potts began punching the officer in the chest as he tried to avoid arrest.
Kayla Potts bashed a policeman on the side of the head. She got hit with a torch in retaliation.
His sister is accused of punching the officer in the side of the head.
The officer responded by swinging his torch at her, splitting her head open below her hairline in the middle of her forehead. In court, she wore a bandage to cover the wound.
Pictures from the St Kilda street showed the young mum's head bleeding heavily shortly after she was struck. Blood can be seen pouring down her face and around her mouth.
Ms Potts has locked down her social media since the attack but before being bailed from court on Monday her Facebook was littered with posts about being a mum.
"I tell you what this motherhood is a tough gig but there is no other hood I would ever want to be apart of," she wrote.
"Give yourself up. We're after you, we have a pretty good idea who you are already. This is not good enough," he told reporters.
O'Donnell was also granted bail on Tuesday and will face court in June.
The 38-year-old, from Frankston, owns his own formwork business building moulds for cement to be poured into.
JULES TOBIN, 26
Musician, actor, model, thug: Jules Tobin spat on an officer before kicking him twice while the officer was on the ground.
A folk singer, who goes by the stage name Romey Tobin, the 26-year-old was performing at the venue where the rest of the accused had been celebrating a 30th birthday party.
Police allege Tobin joined in towards the end of the attack, spitting on a police officer before kicking him twice as he lay on the ground.
The court heard Tobin only became involved when he saw the other officer hit Ms Potts in the head with his police torch.
On one of his social media profiles, Tobin listed himself as being "an actor, extra, model, guitarist and composer".
Tobin, from St Kilda, was also released on bail on Tuesday.
FRANKSTON MAN
A 26-year-old man from Frankston was the sixth person charged over the brutal attack after police swooped on his home on Tuesday night.
Details are sparse about the man however it is known he was charged with assault police officer, violent disorder, affray and other assault related charges.
He was bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on June 3.
