A father and son who brutally beat up a stranger on a busy city street, stabbing him multiple times and stomping on his head had “no motive” for the heinous crime.
Convicted criminals Jared Pihlgren, 53, y his son Jay Stephens, 23, pleaded guilty to the arbitrary assault in County Court of Victoria on Tuesday.
The pair admitted to assaulting a 35-year-old man walking along Lonsdale St in Melbourne at around 12:30am on December 17, 2021.
Disturbing CCTV footage shows the pair following the man at a traffic light before Stephens approaches and hits him on the head.
The pair trade blows and wrestle as Stephens’ father watches before intervening after his son falls to the floor.
As the stranger tries to walk away, Stephens gets back to his feet and continues to throw punches.
A criminal father and son plead guilty to assaulting an innocent man on a Melbourne street on December 17, 2021
The victim manages to overpower Stephens at one point and throws him to the ground.
This prompts Pihlgren to pull out a knife and stab the man in the back.
Pihlgren stabs the man several times and slashes the blade into the back of his head.
The shocking vision sees the man’s body go limp as blood flows beneath him.
Soon after, Stephens returns and viciously stomps on the victim’s head before the pair flee the scene.
Jared Pihlgren, 53, stabbed the man several times in the back and slashed his head before his son Jay Stephens (pictured), 23, stomped on the victim’s head
Bystanders gathered around the victim and called an ambulance.
He was rushed to hospital where his heart stopped for three minutes and he had to have emergency surgery.
His family flew to Australia from Korea and initially thought their son was going to die.
Police managed to track down and arrest Pihlgren and Stephens just hours after the attack, the Announce sun.
They were able to locate the father and son thanks to CCTV footage, which showed Stephens’ distinctive red shorts and Pihlgren’s white hoodie.
Pihlgren told detectives he was “trying to break up” the fight between his son and the man when he was first interviewed.
He appeared in county court on Monday and pleaded guilty to intentionally causing grievous bodily harm. Stephens also pleaded guilty.
Pihlgren, who pleaded guilty to the assault and is awaiting sentencing, has an extensive 30-year criminal history that includes felony assault, assault, property damage and making death threats.
Prosecutor Jamie Singh told the court the man would have died from his injuries had he not been treated by hospital staff.
The victim also said he would leave Australia if Pihlgren was ever released from prison.
Pihlgren has an extensive criminal record stretching back 30 years, with charges in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.
He has previously been charged with weapons offenses, assault, property damage and making death threats.
Stephens and his younger brother, Isaiah, were convicted of assaulting Assistant Police Commissioner Chris O’Neill near Heyington railway station in Toorak in June 2019.
His sons Jay and Isaiah Stephens (pictured) attacked Assistant Police Commissioner Chris O’Neill at a train station in June 2019. Jay was jailed for 20 months
Mr O’Neill confronted the duo when they were kicked off a train for anti-social behavior including vomiting and urinating.
The brothers beat the assistant commissioner from the front and back before fleeing.
Stephens was sentenced to 20 months in prison, while Isaiah was slapped with two and a half years of community service with 200 hours of community service in May 2020.
Pihlgren and Stephens are convicted of assaulting the man on April 13.