'Ethnicity most likely to have cash' belief behind Indian student's attack, Oz court told

Melbourne, July 14(ANI): A Victorian court has heard that three Australians drove around Melbourne's west on the night of October 15, 2009, searching for an Indian to rob before setting on a student in a phone booth and bashing him unconscious.

The County Court heard that Aleksander Trifunovic drove his friends Shayne Comensoli and Lennon Metaxas before they spotted Indian student Lucky Singh in a phone booth in Sunshine.

The 20-year-olds attacked Singh at about 1.30am, and stole 80 dollars in cash from his wallet.

Prosecutor Amelia Macknay said that the pair believed a person of Indian ethnicity was most likely to have cash on them.

Singh said that he was hit up to 20 times on his head and face, after which the trio picked him up, dumped him on a park bench and continued the attack.

He was left bleeding and unconscious on the footpath, suffering bone fractures, severe swelling and bruising, News.com.au reports.

Singh, who had been living in Victoria for eight months, said that the attack had shattered his confidence.

Metaxas was sentenced in March to three years in a youth justice centre, after pleading guilty to intentionally causing serious injury and robbery.

Comensoli pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury and robbery, while Trifunovic pleaded guilty to aiding a robbery.

The crown has called for jail terms for Comensoli and Trifunovic.

Comensoli's pre-sentencing hearing was adjourned pending a psychology and youth justice report. (ANI)