Shocking details emerge about a man ‘pouring petrol’ over a one-year-old girl in Wollongong

Disturbing details emerge about how a man ‘poured petrol’ over a one-year-old girl during a fight with her grandmother’: ‘Let her go blind’

  • Tony McEwan, 41, has been charged over an alleged assault in Wollongong 
  • He allegedly poured petrol over a girl, aged one, and abused her grandmother
  • The grandmother was allegedly hit over the head with a glass during the incident
  • He was refused bail in court on Wednesday – is due to reappear on November 28

A man accused of dousing a toddler in petrol allegedly screamed ‘let her go blind’ and attacked her grandmother as she tried to wash the toxic substance from the little girl’s eyes, a court has heard.  

Tony McEwan, 41, was arrested at a home in Mount Saint Thomas in Wollongong just after 8pm on Tuesday after allegedly assaulting a one-year-old and her grandmother. 

He was later charged with three counts of common assault, destroying or damaging property and stalking or intimidating a person with the intent of causing fear of physical harm. 

Appearing via video link, McEwan pleaded not guilty to the offences in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, saying ‘he loved the girl like a granddaughter’. 

Tony McEwan, 41, (pictured) faced Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday charged with five offences 

The court heard McEwan allegedly went to an appointment at a methadone clinic on Tuesday morning and bought Rivotril tablets – a drug used to treat epilepsy – from a stranger. 

He then allegedly returned to the house, where the grandmother, 48, who was known to McEwan, was with her granddaughter. 

McEwan then allegedly began yelling at the woman about where his coffee was, with her offering to make him one before he began dozing off into ‘micro sleeps’.

He then eventually woke up and accused the woman of stealing his property then allegedly started to smoke some crack.

The grandmother left with the little girl so she wasn’t exposed to drugs, but when the pair returned later around 8pm, McEwan allegedly began accusing the grandmother of taking his crack pipe and pills. 

 ‘I’m gonna f***** kill you, I’m gonna f***** kill you,’ he allegedly said, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The court heard McEwan was arrested at a property in Mount Saint Thomas (suburb pictured) around 8pm on Tuesday

The court heard McEwan was arrested at a property in Mount Saint Thomas (suburb pictured) around 8pm on Tuesday 

The grandmother fled into another room with the toddler and used a pram to barricade them inside, telling McEwan she was going to call police.

After kicking in the door, McEwan then allegedly grabbed a glass brown bottle filled with petrol and poured it over the victims while calling the grandmother a ‘f***ing s***’. 

‘Please don’t [my granddaughter] is here. Please don’t throw it on her,’ the grandmother cried.

‘I don’t f***** care, let her go blind,’ McEwan said, according to the court documents.

The grandmother rushed to wash the little girl’s face, but McEwan allegedly struck her over the back of the head with a glass bottle while telling her ‘you’re gonna die’.

The woman managed to escape to a nearby property where she called police.

When police arrived a short time later, they could smell petrol and found McEwan to be ‘quarrelsome and aggressive’. 

He was arrested at the house where officers also noted he had ‘slurred speech’. 

McEwan’s defence solicitor Elizabeth Logan told the court her client suffered a brain injury in 20s after falling off a balcony after he appeared agitated during Wednesday’s hearing.

The court (pictured) heard McEwan allegedly verbally abused the grandmother after smoking crack

The court (pictured) heard McEwan allegedly verbally abused the grandmother after smoking crack 

Magistrate Greg Elks ordered that McEwan be remanded in custody to reappear in court on November 28.  

The grandmother tried to use a pram to barricade the door but the man allegedly forced his way in and poured petrol over the child. 

As the grandmother tried to wash the fuel off her daughter’s face, police allege the man then smashed a glass over her head.

The grandmother and daughter were able to flee the home and call police.

The one-year-old was treated by paramedics and did not need to go to hospital. 

The man was charged with three counts of assault, destroy or damage property and stalk or intimidate with the intention to cause fear and physical harm.

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk