Mistake bashing with bat
By Cam Lucadou-Wells
In a bizarre case of mistaken identity, a fatherof-four wielding a baseball bat smashed up a car carrying a terrified woman and her sixyear-old son at a Pakenham shopping centre.
Bernard Jean Anseline, 40, of Pakenham, had told police he mistakenly believed the same car had been used during a robbery of his son’s mate that day, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was told.
Earlier on 4 August, Anseline had parked his Commodore in front of the woman’s car in an attempt to block her in.
She scraped the passenger side of Anseline’s car as she frantically escaped. Anseline then followed her car into a supermarket car park.
He took out a baseball bat and smashed one of her car’s tail-lights, struck a rear spoiler and then shattered the front windscreen.
The attack stopped when the boy in the battered car cried and the woman yelled out to Anseline that there was a child in the car, police prosecutor Senior Constable Jaimie Jeffs told the court.
In the woman’s victim impact statement, she described being terrified for her and her son’s lives.
“There was significant impact on both victims especially given the age of the (child),” Sen Const Jeffs said.
Anseline later made full admissions to police, saying he’d been hunting for a carload of masked robbers who’d allegedly robbed and bashed his son’s friend in John Street.
“It certainly wasn’t a concoction, on my in-
structions,” Anseline’s lawyer told the court on 30 October.
“He was not out and about looking to get himself into trouble.
“He was at home minding his own business effectively.
“(The son’s friend) who made to call to my client’s son was a good friend and very distressed.
“Unfortunately my client did the wrong thing and got involved in the situation.”
Anseline had “lost it“ when his car was scraped during the victim’s initial escape, the lawyer said, and adrenaline overtook him at that point.
Anseline had a “significant” criminal history but “kept himself out of trouble” for the past six years, the lawyer said.
He had “pulled his head in” and worked hard up until being retrenched as a storeman and driver last year.
Magistrate Pauline Spencer said Anseline’s conduct was serious offending, terrifying a mother and child going about their ordinary business.
Ms Spencer noted Anseline had a history of “this type of offending”.
“You chose to take things in your own hands when you had other options open to you, including to call the police.
“I have to be very clear to you that you can’t go around doing this, and clear to the rest of the community that if there’s an incident you can’t take matters into your own hands.”
Anseline was jailed for six months.
Pakenham model and law student Tayla Young is vying to be Australia's next Miss Tourism. Turn to page 7 to find out why she is so keen to promote the country. 174533 She’s
PUZZLES
ACROSS
1. Remembered having been dismissed from office (8). 6. As a rule, one quarter grass (4). 8.Again it is the back row (4). 9. Touched the biscuits (8). 10. Mr. Fury? (5). 11. One misdeed and you get a broken leg! (6). 13. For each food item one swallows (6). 15. Live again to take up the cudgels for (6). 17. He wants very much to have it extended (6). 19. For the child, I put in bran flakes (5). 22. What killed the canibal who ate the traveller? (8). 23. Said itís a rough measure (4). 24. People mad to return, which does surprise one (4). 25.Abit upset, we orderThomas out (8).
ACROSS
1.Drug (8)
6.Rescue (4)
8.Disorder (4)
9.Dog (8)
10.Theatre (5)
11.Stoat (6)
13.Entreaty (6)
15.Vegetable (6)
17.Muscle (6)
19.Rascal (5)
22.Limit (8)
23.Midday (4)
24.Gun (4)
25.Flower (8)
DOWN
2.Watchful (5)
3.Posy (7)
4.Colour (4)
5.Old coin (8)
6.Rage (5)
7.Wine-seller (7)
12.Urgent (8)
14.Clothing (7)
16.Permission (7)
18.Consumed (5)
20.New Zealander (5)
21.Leading lady (4)
DOWN
2. She took time about the answer to LIV + XLV (5). 3. The authorís cut (7). 4. Material number one (4). 5. Convinced the anesthetic has worked? (4,4). 6. Compare with a student I know (5). 7. Sang of the battle-wounded (7). 12. Hides from the rampaging Crees, upset (8). 14. Object to being put back in port, tied up (7). 16. It churps outside, or wraps up (7). 18. Inexperienced, getting advice about inside (5). 20. Itís hard to make a hole in, Lady (5). 21. To the contrary (4).
23, Noon. 24, Sten. 25, Gardenia. Down-Alert.2,3,Nosegay.4,Buff.5,Sixpence.6,tormS 7, Vintner. 12, Pressing. 14, Raiment. 16, Licence. ,18
Eaten. 20 Maori. 21 Star.