A 23-year-old Indian student-cum-cabbie was attacked by his passenger who 'hated Indians', leaving him with a fractured skull, nose and cheekbone, an Australian court has heard.
The court hearing the case was told on Wednesday that the attack on the Indian youth in Campbellfield over two years ago by his 22-year-old passenger Murat Kilink could have been 'racially inspired', The Age daily reported on Thursday.
Kilinc, who had pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury, was remanded for sentencing next week.
The attacker's psychologist Rachael Freeland told the country court that Kilinc, whose victim suffered a fractured skull, nose and cheekbone, felt Indians acted "in a way that was completely self-serving."
She said that Kilinc cited an example of Indians undercutting workers in the Shepparton fruit-picking areas. The accused's mother also lost a cleaning job to an Indian.
When asked by Judge Joe Gullaci if a combination of Kilinc's alcohol abuse, anger issues and underlying hatred of Indians might explain the offence, she said they might have 'contributed' to it.
Kilinc had told a psychologist the core issue of his and his family's culture of hatred towards Indians was their apparent lack of concern for others, the report said.
According to prosecutor Jim Bessell, Kilinc and another man effectively left the victim -- who was not identified -- to die after the attack in Campbellfield.
Bessell said at 4.45 am (local time) on February 16, 2008, witnesses heard screams, moans and cries and two people running before finding the bleeding driver in his cab.
Bessell told Judge Gullaci that one of the aggravating features of the offence was that Kilinc had expressed racial hatred towards Indians, and he argued that could be considered a factor in sentencing.
However, defence barrister Gregory Hughan said Kilinc, who was then 19 and on bail for other offences, was on a downward spiral after his father left home and a relationship ended. Hughan said Kilinc had expressed remorse and shame.
Judge Gullaci declared that the "time has come when the court has to send a message loud and clear" that excessive drinking and other factors can't be an excuse for offending.
He said such cases called for immediate imprisonment because "this community must have the right to work or go about normal business without these cowardly attacks."
