Group of women attack city motel owners

Category: Bashing

April 28, 2011.
A Cairns couple, who run a city motel, were set upon and bashed by a group of four women in another attack in the city centre.

Sheridan St motel operators Joseph Saliba and Sonkhit said they had “had it” with crime in the city and called for the community’s concerns to be addressed at a public forum.


The group of women, who were arguing with guests at the motel on Easter Sunday, turned violent when the couple asked them to leave the motel grounds.


“All of a sudden, one of the bigger girls, probably over 100kg, has just stampeded through to charge my wife,” Mr Saliba said.


“She was throwing punches, like Muhammad Ali, she’s jumping up and down with her hands punching. I’ve never seen girls being so aggressive.”


As her husband ran inside to call police, Sonkhit said she was repeatedly knocked to the ground and abused.


Mr Saliba said he had spent thousands of dollars on a new security system.


“What’s the point of me spending $25,000 putting a new security system in when these idiots will just go to court and nothing happens?” he said.


“It’s just not fair, it’s pushed us to the point where we don’t want to even work anymore.


“We need to get together to organise some kind of security for people, otherwise what will it come to?


“The police do their job but they are useless unless the judges act and do something about it.


“They can’t be soft on them anymore, if you do the crime you’ve got to pay.”


Acting Supt Russell Rhodes said the incident was a terrible blemish on the Easter long weekend and called for community leaders to act.


“We need the responsible leaders of offending groups to develop some change and responsibility among their young people,” he said.