Camp residents flee drunken riot
DRUNKEN, machete-wielding footballers rioted in an Aboriginal camp town on Saturday, beating women, torching cars and looting people's houses on the first day of the new Northern Territory alcohol restrictions.
George Robertson, who lives at Hoppy's Camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs, was forced to flee his home on Saturday night with his wheelchair-bound wife, Monica, as the mob attacked.
His daughter, Angela, was punched in the face by a man, then kicked in the ribs and stabbed in the shoulder.
She sat outside their house yesterday with dried blood stuck to her face, nursing her young son Liam. She does not remember being punched but she remembers what came afterwards.
"He kicked me here," she said, rubbing her ribs.
There is very little awareness in Hoppy's Camp about the changes to the law, which impose stiffer penalties for drinking in a restricted area.
Under the new federal legislation, drinkers in restricted areas face a fine of $1100 for a first offence, and a $2200 fine for second and subsequent offences.
Grog-runners who bring in larger amounts, the equivalent of three 30-pack cases of full-strength beer, face a $74,500 fine or 18 months in prison.
The camps are, since Saturday, restricted areas but at 5pm yesterday the drinking began again as a taxi arrived, depositing someone from town with a fresh load of beer.
Acting Territory Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Coffey told The Australian officers would begin educating and cautioning people about the new penalties.
On Saturday, police had been to Hoppy's Camp and tipped out cans of beer. They were called back hours later to deal with the aftermath of the brawl.
Mr Coffey said police would caution those who broke the alcohol laws the first time, but known grog-runners and repeat offenders would face the new penalties immediately.
Mr Robertson said he had been watching television when drunken teenagers began pelting his house with rocks. They then attacked an electricity junction box, blacking out the house. "We ran outside when that happened, we had to bring Monica outside in her chair," he said.
"I was really frightened for her. We were frightened they might light a fire."
His house escaped but a friend's car in the front yard was torched, as were mattresses and clothing outside the house. The car's owner was in Alice Springs hospital last night with a machete wound to his head. Mr Robertson's son, Elsworth, lost his swag to the mob.
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