Two Perth brothers have been jailed over a violent and senseless assault on a 78-year-old grandfather, who was simply collecting cans in a car park when he became the victim of an unprovoked attack.
Brandon and Alex Dower confronted the elderly man, Herbert, in August last year after wrongly believing he was filming them performing burnouts. The situation escalated after Herbert used pepper spray in an attempt to protect himself.
What followed was a disturbing and brutal attack. Brandon, aged 21, punched and kicked Herbert repeatedly, while his older brother, 22-year-old Alex, stomped on him nine times. The elderly man suffered a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, and was hospitalised for a week. He now lives with ongoing anxiety.
During sentencing, Judge Linda Petrusa condemned the brothers’ actions, saying: “You have robbed this elderly gentleman of his enjoyment of life.”
The court heard that Alex Dower had a history of violent behaviour and had previously breached multiple suspended sentences, including one for stabbing his own father. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. Brandon received a three-and-a-half-year sentence. Both men were also issued lifetime violence restraining orders to protect Herbert from any further harm.
Outside court, the brothers’ devastated parents expressed their heartbreak.
“We love them to death, but they made the most stupidest choices in the world,” their mother said. “We are horrified at what they’ve done – from day one – and we just couldn’t believe it.”
Despite the trauma, Herbert and his wife told Nine News they accepted the family’s apology and hoped the brothers would learn from the experience. “We’re glad he made a full recovery and hope he gets over the emotional scars now,” they said.
