A man has been charged almost a fortnight after an off-duty nurse was attacked in a Melbourne park, a man has handed himself in to police.
The 40-year-old man, from Burwood, handed himself in to police on Friday following the assault at Gardiners Creek Trail on the afternoon of November 5.
The attack left 51-year-old nurse Claire Derrick with a broken nose, scratches and serious bruising.
The man has been charged with intentionally and recklessly cause injury, affray and other assault-related matters, and was bailed to appear at the Ringwood Magistrates Court in May.
Claire Derrick (pictured), 51, sustained a broken nose, scratches and bruising when she was randomly and violently attacked by a man while jogging on Sunday afternoon
Ms Derrick, a mother-of-two, had been jogging along the trail in Burwood when she noticed the man behaving ‘erratically’ on the wrong side of the popular track.
‘He slightly smirked at me and I thought that wasn’t right and went past him,’ Ms Derrick told reporters after the attack.
‘He came up behind me and started hitting me … it was so vicious and really violent.
‘He went for my eyes and was pulling at my eyes.’
She was thrown on the ground but tried to fight off her attacker.
Ms Derrick was jogging along Gardiners Creek Trail (pictured) in Burwood about 4.10pm on Sunday when she noticed the man behaving ‘erratically’
‘I was screaming for help when two wonderful people came and pulled him off me,’ Ms Derrick said.
She said her aim while under attack was to protect her face and not lose consciousness.
‘I remember the last two punches to my head and I thought I can’t sustain much more of this,’ she said.
Ms Derreck was thrown on the ground and savagely beaten by the muscular man before a couple stepped in to help her
Her husband Darren Smethurst said he struggled to process what happened when he got to the scene.
‘It’s pretty distressing,’ he said. ‘But I’m not surprised she fought him off, I’m quite impressed.’
A young couple who intervened chased the man before returning to call emergency services.
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