Bassendean attack: Irwin was on his way to buy a Lotto ticket when he was attacked by a thug in broad daylight. Four months later, the hunt for his attacker continues
An elderly great-grandfather who was left bloodied and bruised after he was brutally attacked in a cowardly attack believes he is ‘very lucky’ it wasn’t worse.
Irwin Dodd, 84, was on his way to his local kiosk in Perth’s northeast to buy a Lotto ticket when he was confronted by a stranger.
CCTV footage showed the pair exchanging words before the man punched the retired factory worker in the jaw.
Four months later, his attacker is still at large.
Police are searching for the thug who attacked elderly great-grandfather Irwin Dodd on August 30
“I heard this voice say, ‘Hey, old man’, I started turning my head and saw this face, and bang, he had got me,” Mr Dodd told Nine News.
‘I don’t know if I got dizzy or what. All I know is popping and I couldn’t close my mouth properly and I couldn’t get my dentures back in so I had to take them out.
He recalled seeing his attacker moments earlier involved in an altercation with another man outside a white ute near the shops in Bassendean.
The CCTV footage showed a shocked Mr Dodd clutching his jaw after being attacked.
He went to the newsagent, bought his ticket and reported the incident to staff, where he encountered the man involved in the earlier altercation with his attacker.
“He said, ‘He’s a mad man,’ he says, ‘Please report it,’” Mr. Dodd recalled.
He suffered ‘cuts and bruises’ to his mouth in the attack.
His dentures still need to be repaired and he didn’t win anything on the Lotto ticket he bought that day.
Irwin Dodd, 84, spoke about the sickening attack and feared someone else could be more seriously injured
Western Australia police released CCTV footage of the August 30 incident on Friday in the hope of finally finding Mr Dodd’s attacker.
The man is described as Asian in appearance, in his 30s, with tanned skin, a medium build, approximately 175cm tall and had a distinctive neck tattoo.
He was wearing black clothing at the time.
“Everyone has a father or grandfather of Mr Dodd’s age and you just have to put yourself in the family’s shoes,” said Acting Senior Sergeant Mason Ball.
“And it could be your father who is randomly targeted.”
‘(Mr Dodd) is a vulnerable member of the community and he does not deserve this kind of treatment from anyone,’
Irwin was on his way to buy a Lotto ticket when he was punched in the jaw
Mr Dodd is still traumatized by the attack and remains hopeful his attacker will be tracked down before someone else is more seriously injured.
“What’s he going to do with the next person? Take them to the hospital,” he said.
“You can’t trust people anymore… I’m just keeping an eye on who’s around me now.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
Irwin Dodd (pictured) suffered cuts and bruises to his mouth