Young British woman whose jaw was broken by violent footy fan on Swan Street, Melbourne breaks her silence over the ‘vile’ attack
A young female English tourist who suffered a broken jaw when hit by a footy fan during a night out has spoken of her anger over the ‘disturbing’ incident.
Poppy, 20, and a friend had just left a bar when they passed three men on Swan Street in the inner Melbourne suburb of Richmond at 11.45pm on September 21.
In footage of the incident, one of the men is seen waving a Brisbane Lions scarf, celebrating the team’s win in the AFL preliminary final that day.
As the man, and two others with him, pass by Poppy and her friend he dangles the scarf in Poppy’s face.
She turns, grabs at him and appears to throw a punch.
The man reacts by punching Poppy to the head – sending her reeling backward onto a shopfront and falling to the ground.
Her friend pushed the man who is heard shouting: ‘She hit me’.
Poppy, from Devon in England’s southwest, quickly got to her feet but had sustained a fractured jaw which required several titanium plates to be installed.
In CCTV footage of the incident, one of the men is seen waving a Brisbane Lions scarf in the women’s faces before Poppy (pictured centre) grabs his shirt and swings at his head
She had flown to Australia to celebrate her 20th birthday on October 1, but spent that day nursing the injury which has restricted her to pureed food until the jaw heals.
‘Disgusting, I think it’s vile,’ Poppy told 7News. ‘I don’t understand how someone thinks that’s an okay reaction to have, especially to a young girl.
The Brisbane Lions fan (pictured centre) pulls his arm back before slamming his fist into Poppy’s jaw – sending the young tourist flying backwards into a wall
‘I really hope he comes forward, or I really hope his friends push him to come forward. I think that’s just the morally right thing to do.’
Victoria Police said a man had made himself known to police on Wednesday.
No charges were immediately laid while an investigation is ongoing.
She said her parents in England have been worried about her, and the incident has delayed a planned trip up Australia’s east coast with friends.
‘I’ve had to put all of that on hold, and at the time, I didn’t know if it was going to cost me anything either,’ she said.
‘[My parents] were really worried, and they were quite scared for me as well.’
CCTV footage of the incident was released by police earlier this week.
The man was described as being aged between 20 and 30-years-old and 176cm tall with short, dark brown hair with a beard and moustache.
He was wearing a cream jacket, white t-shirt and black jeans in the video.
