An 18-year-old man involved in an armed gang fight at Melbourne’s Northland Shopping Centre in May will be released from custody to complete community work.
Abel Sorzor faced the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court via videolink on Friday on five charges including unlawful violence, using a prohibited weapon and committing an offence while on bail.
The charges relate to a brawl between two groups that sent the Preston shopping centre into lockdown on the afternoon of May 25.
The two groups moved to an outdoor dining area where they began to punch each other before four members of one group, including Sorzor, drew machetes and began slashing at the second group.
Frightened shoppers fled from the scene as dozens of police and specialist units descended on the shopping centre.Â
Magistrate John Bentley today sentenced the Thornhill Park man to 100 hours of community work and ordered him to undertake 18 months of drug treatment, mental health treatment and programs to reduce the risk of reoffending.
The magistrate also set an overnight curfew and banned Sorzor from attending Northland.
Panicked shoppers fled as the incident unfolded. (Supplied)
Prosecution pushes for custodial sentence
Sorzor has spent 58 days in custody over the May incident.
In court, prosecutors argued that a longer prison sentence was required because the principle of general deterrence was “absolutely paramount”.
But Sorzor’s lawyer told the court his client was remorseful, employed and could be rehabilitated.
“He’s been working six days a week for 12 months before this awful incident took place,” the lawyer said.
He also said his client was using marijuana and the anxiety medication Xanax at the time of the incident but had stopped using drugs in custody.
The shopping centre was put into lockdown as the incident unfolded in May. (ABC News: Shannon Schubert)
In setting a non-custodial sentence, the magistrate told Sorzor that if he did not engage with the community work or had a poor attitude, he would consider re-sentencing him.
Despite the 18-year-old denying he was part of a gang, Magistrate Bentley also ordered Sorzor not to associate with four people, including three alleged co-offenders.
“He needs to stop associating with these people, full stop,” Magistrate Bentley said.
“You either stay with the gang and end up in jail or you rid yourself of the gang.
“Don’t stuff any of this up in the next month, otherwise you could find yourself back in custody,” he said.