20-year-old pleads guilty to attack on Indian-origin doctor

Melbourne, Aug 17 (PTI) A 20-year old man accused of
involvement in an attack on an Indian-origin doctor here last
year pleaded guilty Monday for the incident that sent the
victim into coma.

Mukesh Haikerwal, former president of the Australian
Medical Association (AMA) was attacked by a gang in September
last year when he was walking in a park in Melbourne, leaving
him with a fractured skull.

Alfer Azzopardi, 20, pleaded guilty to a total of 41
charges involving a series of armed robberies, attempted armed
robberies and assaults around Melbourne.

While he pleaded guilty to charges of intentionally
causing serious injury and armed robbery on Haikerwal, he will
contest the exact circumstances of his role in those offences,
the Age newspaper said.

Haikerwal was kicked and punched while he lay on the
ground and then struck on the head with a baseball bat.

The doctor, who suffered two blood clots in his brain
and a fractured skull, underwent emergency surgery and was in
a state of coma for sometime.

He remained in hospital and had rehabilitation at
Epworth Hospital for about eight weeks.

Magistrate Amanda Chambers remanded Azzopardi, who did
not apply for bail, in custody to appear in the County Court
in November. PTI NC
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