Victorian courts hear cases involving cricket bat assaults

In separate Victorian court cases, individuals facing charges involving cricket bat attacks have appeared before magistrates.

Former Darley Junior Football Netball Club president Dwayne Cachia and his wife, Joanne, reached a plea deal regarding a February incident in Bacchus Marsh. The couple allegedly used a cricket bat to smash a front door and an internal wall during a home invasion motivated by suspicions regarding drug supply. The original home invasion charge was negotiated down to trespass.

In Melbourne, 30-year-old Damian Adams was denied bail following an alleged attack on a 75-year-old man outside a charity store in Mentone. Police allege Adams armed himself with a cricket bat after a confrontation. The court heard that Adams was already on bail for a previous assault on an elderly man at Highett railway station. Magistrate Brett Sonnet cited recent Victorian bail reforms, emphasizing community protection, when refusing the bail application.