YOUNG Warrnambool men who targeted Asian meat workers in about 30 attacks will plead guilty in court.
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Jeremy Stacey, 20, of Carramar Crescent, appeared in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with 19 offences and applied for the case to be dealt with through the diversion program.
His four co-defendants are all aged under 18 years old and cannot legally be named, but three indicated they will admit to their offending.
Another, involved in a couple of attacks, received a police caution.
A solicitor said the offenders did not like Asians and his client couldn't recall details of all the attacks.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose said: "I bet the victims can.”
She said the opportunity to take part in the diversion program was completely out of the question and she was considering the other end of the sentencing scale - jail.
The magistrate said the sustained attacks started in 2015, continued through 2016 and were committed because of where the workers were employed or because of their ethnic background.
Ms Toose said a substantial penalty would have to be imposed.
"It's just so inappropriate - vigilantism and pack mentality. It's absolutely shameless behaviour," she said.
The case was adjourned for a guilty plea hearing on Friday, August 11.
Police said that Stacey was the only adult and the vehicle driver when the group got together to go for drives over a 12-month period.
They targeted Asian Midfield Meat workers, throwing eggs and rocks through windows of their homes, damaging a vehicle and causing almost $4000 damage.
The offending escalated to direct attacks before the individuals in the group were identified by police, arrested, interviewed and then charged.
In March last year a loaf of bread was thrown through the front window of a home in Aitkins Road where a number of meat workers lived.
Another three attacks were committed at the Aitkins Road home between April and August involving rocks smashing windows.
Residents told police they and other meat workers were being targeted.
A home in Saltau Street was attacked with rocks in June and there were four eggings at a Merrivale Drive home in between April and August.
In mid August 17 a Raglan Parade home was egged and two days later a west Warrnambool home was also damaged.
Overnight on August 19 a vehicle parked in the Midfield Group car park was damaged, resulting in a $500 damage bill.
Three times in August eggs were thrown at a Dobson Way home where a Japanese teacher lived.
He taught one of the offenders.
There were other homes targeted at Clyde Crescent during July and Hyland Street and Stephen Street in October.
Clyde Crescent residents told police their home had been subjected to attacks at six other times.
On August 23 last year eggs were thrown directly at Midfield workers and the offenders were arrested by police soon after that incident.
