Man on bail arrested over random shopping centre attack

A 40-year-old man on bail has been charged after allegedly assaulting a 63-year-old man in a random attack at a shopping centre in Melbourne’s south-west.

Sean McLachlan, of no fixed address, was allegedly sitting in the entrance of the shopping centre on Douglas Parade in Williamstown, when police say he lunged and attacked the man about 8.15am on Saturday.

Members of the public and an off-duty police officer restrained McLachlan until police arrived.

The victim was not known to the man, and police will allege the attack was unprovoked.

The victim suffered facial injuries and sought medical treatment.

In 2025, the Herald Sun reported a 39-year-old man named Sean McLachlan of no fixed address had been charged with randomly assaulting a 92-year-old woman outside a Coles supermarket on Douglas Parade in Williamstown in April.

CCTV footage published to social media last year showed McLachlan walking towards the elderly victim, who was using a walking aid, and hitting her in the upper body before pushing her to the ground. The woman was knocked unconscious.

On Saturday, police said the 40-year-old man had been charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury, assault by kicking, affray, contravening a court order and committing an indictable offence whilst on bail.

He faced court on Saturday.

On Monday, Liberal leader Jess Wilson announced proposed legislation to amend Victoria’s Sentencing Act to ensure courts consider whether an offender has attacked a good samaritan.

Named Aidan’s law after 22-year-old Aidan Becker, who was allegedly murdered in March when he rushed to the aid of a 14-year-old boy being robbed at a train station, the proposed legislation would be enacted if a Coalition government were elected, she said.

Labor announced their own crime policy on Monday, pledging to spend $70 million recruiting 200 more police reservists if re-elected, as well as open two new police stations, rebuild two stations and upgrade another two.

The new stations would be located in Watergardens and Doncaster, while Keilor Downs and Greensborough would be rebuilt, and Moonee Ponds and Clayton stations upgraded.

Home to two former Labor premiers, Williamstown has historically been one of the party’s safest seats in Victoria. But the current member, Jobs Minister Melissa Horne, is expected to suffer a hit to her primary vote at the November 28 election amid mounting voter concern about crime.

In October, Horne, who has represented Williamstown since 2018, told The Age that she was not taking anything for granted and acknowledged Labor was “up against it”.

Despite retaining her seat with a comfortable margin at the 2022 election, Horne suffered an 8.2 percentage swing against the party.

Lindemann, a former real estate agent who joined the Liberal Party last year, told The Age in October that crime was “out of control” in the area, and would be a focus of his campaign.