A 47-year-old man has been repeatedly kicked and punched outside a Melbourne hospital after allegedly refusing to give a cigarette to a group of three men.
The man, who is believed to be a medical professional, was approached by the trio as he stood outside Dandenong Hospital, south-east of the city, around 3.30pm on Tuesday, Victoria police said.
The group asked the man for a cigarette but he declined, officers said.
‘A verbal altercation took place before the victim was struck by one of the males causing him to fall onto the ground where he was kicked numerous times,’ a police spokeswoman said.
A 47-year-old man has been repeatedly kicked and punched outside a Melbourne hospital after allegedly refusing to give a cigarette to a group of three men (pictured is Dandenong Hospital)
The attack comes just months after Melbourne surgeon Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann (pictured), 41, died after allegedly being coward punched outside Box Hill Hospital
The alleged attackers ran away when a stranger intervened, police said.
The 47-year-old didn’t receive life-threatening injuries.
In similar circumstances, Melbourne surgeon Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann, 41, died in June after allegedly being coward punched outside Box Hill Hospital – less than 30 minutes’ drive from Dandenong Hospital.
Police claim Dr. Pritzwald-Stegmann was leaving the hospital when he asked Joseph Esmaili, 22, not to smoke near the front entrance.
Officers allege Mr Esmaili punched the father-of-two from behind, knocking him unconscious.
On Tuesday, the group of three men asked the 47-year-old for a cigarette but he declined, officers said (stock image)
Dr Pritzwald-Stegmann, a German-born specialist, (pictured) was described as a wonderful father during his funeral.
The doctor was on life support for four weeks before his wife, Christine, made the heart-breaking decision to turn it off.
The German-born specialist was described as a wonderful father during his funeral.
‘I will miss the way his eyes lit up when he saw (the girls) and he often said to me he would be happy being a full-time dad,’ Christine told hundreds of mourners.
‘He was so proud of his daughters.’
A scholarship fund established in honour of Dr Pritzwald-Stegmann will name its first recipient in November.
Mr Esmaili, 22, faces four charges of intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury over Dr Pritzwald-Stegmann’s death and will face a committal mention on October 2.
Police claim Dr. Pritzwald-Stegmann was leaving the hospital when he asked Joseph Esmaili (pictured), 22, not to smoke near the front entrance
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