Woman’s walk home ends in hospital after brick attack

Walk with someone or don’t walk at all.

This is the advice 20-year-old Shoalwater resident Melodie Hunt has for the community after she was attacked and robbed late on Sunday night.

Ms Hunt was walking home alone from a friend’s house near Shoalwater Oval sometime between 11.30pm and 12am when she was struck in the back of the head by a brick.

It was the second attack to occur in the area this month with a 38-year-old woman assaulted in similar circumstances on August 5.

“I was walking my typical route home with my headphones in and was basically on auto pilot when I was hit,” Ms Hunt said.

“I didn’t fall down or collapse but I turned around to look and he threw the brick again.”

The second hit caused Ms Hunt to fall to the ground and her attacker demanded she hand over her belongings.

“I gave him my bag and my phone,” she said.

“He ran off a few metres before coming back and asking for the pin number.

“I listed off a few numbers I have had over the years; I can’t even remember if I gave him the right one.”

After her attacker fled, Ms Hunt managed to run the short distance home and alerted her mother straight away.

“I burst through the front door and mum and her partner took me to the hospital,” she said.

“I didn’t feel much pain at first. I think (it was) due to shock but the force was enough for me to need four staples in the back of the head.”

Police have assured the general public they are doing their best to identify and arrest the person held responsible for this callous attack.

They are asking residents to reconsider walking after dark and not to walk alone.

Police have confirmed they are looking into a connection with the earlier assault, which took place less than 2km from where Ms Hunt was attacked.

“It has got me beat how people can do this. Stealing a phone is one thing but throwing a brick is extreme,” Ms Hunt said

“You could potentially kill someone.”

Ms Hunt’s mother Kim said she was absolutely shocked when her daughter retuned home and went into panic mode.

“It was frightening,” she said

“I always thought the area was safe, I’ve been down here nearly eight years now and I would have thought it was one of the safest places in Rockingham.”