EDITORIAL: IT used to be called a king-hit, now it’s called the coward’s punch. Either way it can have terrible consequences.
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Take the case of Dylan John Closter, a 20-year-old from Melbourne. Last week Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth, sitting in the Supreme Court, put him behind bars for nine years and three months for throwing a coward’s punch on New Year’s Eve, 2012, at the seaside town of Rye.
The punch ended the life of another young man with everything before him, David Cassai, 22.
Mr Cassai had been out with friends enjoying the party atmosphere when he was attacked by Closter in an unprovoked and vicious assault.
Closter was said to have danced around his victim like a boxer as he lay prone on the ground, his life slowly ebbing away.
Not only is a young man dead, another is facing almost a decade in jail and will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. Two lives have been destroyed by a single punch.
Young blokes tanked up on booze or so-called party drugs are attacking each other with increasing levels of viciousness, according to police.
While we might rightly point the finger at the hideous substance ice and its dubious qualities of making the user feel invincible, the issue is far greater than just one drug.
Alcohol abuse is rife in our communities, unfettered advertising and marketing teaches youngsters that booze is cool and accessibility is not an issue, with bars and clubs open all hours thanks to relaxed licensing laws.
On top of that there is the issue of family breakdown, coupled with a culture of violence prevalent on our TV, computer and cinema screens, with censors allowing more violent content.
What are we teaching our young men? Why would any young bloke think that it is OK to hit someone as hard as possible in the skull when they don’t see it coming and then celebrate by dancing around them as they lay dying?
The Closter case made the headlines last week, but sadly it is only a matter of time before another coward’s punch story hits the news.