Driver who allegedly beat student paramedic with can pleads guilty

‘I’m not afraid to hit a girl’: Woolworths worker, 21, admits to brutally bashing a student paramedic with a deodorant can during wild road rage attack

  • Joshua Burke pleaded guilty over road rage attack against woman in Melbourne
  • Burke faced Melbourne Magistrates Court Tuesday and could face five years jail
  • Police say Burke drove erratically and cut off victim before ‘driving altercation’ 
  • Victim, Erin, said she was left physically and emotionally scarred from attack 

A driver has pleaded guilty over a road rage attack after a student paramedic was allegedly beaten with a deodorant can. 

Woolworths worker Joshua Burke, 21, fronted Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday and could face up to five years imprisonment. 

The victim, Erin, who doesn’t want her surname made public, was 23 at the time of the attack in south-east Melbourne on November 1 last year.

She told court the terrifying ordeal left her physically and emotionally scarred, derailed her studies and affected her job prospects.

Joshua Burke, 21 (pictured), fronted Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday and could face up to five years imprisonment

The court was told Burke yelled at and intimidated Erin (pictured) before punching her in the face, fracturing her eye socket in two places

The court was told Burke yelled at and intimidated Erin (pictured) before punching her in the face, fracturing her eye socket in two places

The court was told Burke yelled at and intimidated Erin before punching her in the face, fracturing her eye socket in two places.

‘I’m not afraid to hit a girl,’ he told the victim before the assault.

Erin told reporters Burke gripped a deodorant can whilst punching her.

She was driving from work placement and wearing her paramedic’s uniform at the time.

The incident began when both parties were travelling south on the Western Port Highway at about 7pm.

Police said Burke was driving erratically and cut off Erin, leading to a ‘driving altercation’.

Burke began repeatedly accelerating and braking, keeping the victim in a position where she could not get around him. At a bend in the road with a 100 km/h speed limit, he forced her to a complete stop.

She got around Burke by driving on the wrong side of the road – while another vehicle approached.

‘I thought we were both going to die,’ she said.

Burke then tailgated Erin for about 10km, pursuing her as she drove as fast as she could to get away.

She stopped in Somerville when she saw a friend.

Burke arrived and tried to smash Erin’s window with his hand. He then started kicking her windows before assaulting her.

She was taken to Frankston Hospital where she was treated overnight for head trauma. Burke reported the incident to police.

Officers searched his vehicle where they found four box cutters and three bags of cannabis weighing about five grams.

He faces nine charges including intentionally causing injury, damaging property and possession of cannabis.

Burke is on bail and will be sentenced on June 26.

Erin (pictured) was taken to Frankston Hospital where she was treated overnight for head trauma

Erin (pictured) was taken to Frankston Hospital where she was treated overnight for head trauma

 

 

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