A WARRNAMBOOL bar owner is struggling to understand why he was targeted in a vicious CBD assault.
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Lukasz Chomentowski was knocked out and left lying on the ground after being cowardly attacked by several people before Christmas.
“It was vicious … I’ve been told by a witness that I was hit from behind,” he told The Standard.
“I didn’t feel anything because I was out.
‘‘I hit the ground pretty hard. I didn’t put my hands out whatsoever.
‘‘I felt loads of pain the next day in the morning.”
Mr Chomentowski, who runs The Last Coach bar, was walking along Timor Street at night on December 23 when he was king-hit from behind.
“We went for a drink, had one or two and decided to walk back,” he said.
‘‘My brother-in-law was 100, maybe 150, metres in front of me and that’s all I know.”
He went home dazed. Photos of bruising to his back suggest the attackers might even have kicked him once he was down.
“I don’t think I’ve upset anyone in Warrnambool …and they didn’t rob me.”
The incident has been reported to police and he plans to press charges once the identities of his attackers are known.
The assault forced Mr Chomentowski to close his bar on Christmas Eve, a traditionally-busy trading day.
“I would say I lost probably $5000,” he said. ‘‘Considering how busy it would be.
‘‘I had live music I had to cancel.”
The bar owner is off work for the next three weeks.
“I’m here, but I cannot work, but I run the business so I have to make sure,” Mr Chomentowski said.
‘‘But I don’t move anything.”
Mr Chomentowski has operated The Last Coach since arriving from Poland in July last year.
While he insists he’s not afraid, the attack has left him second guessing the safety of Warrnambool after dark.
“I was so shocked. I thought Warrnambool was so safe and so great.
‘‘And I still think it’s great but I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
He spoke out against violence in the city centre as a public warning.
“This cannot happen to other people,” Mr Chomentowski said.
‘‘You don’t want to be jumped from behind when you go home.
“I’ve had loads of support from all my regulars and people coming in to see how I am.”