City Beach police incident: Man charged over gruesome ramming and hammer attack

A 25-year-old man has been charged with attempting to kill another man by allegedly running him down with his car in City Beach — severing his leg — before attacking him with a hammer.

The Beckenham man is due to face Perth Magistrates Court charged with attempting to unlawfully kill over the incident in the beachside suburb on Monday morning.

It comes as the 29-year-old victim remains in Royal Perth Hospital in a critical but stable condition on Tuesday.

Police allege a confrontation erupted between the pair after the accused arrived at the 29-year-old’s workplace — a construction site — about 11am.

It is believed the alleged victim took off on foot before the 25-year-old used a silver BT-250 ute to chase him down and run him over.

After being struck by that vehicle, the 29-year-old man’s lower leg was severed, according to Supt Manus Walsh. He was then also allegedly struck several times with a hammer.

Eyewitnesses — including an off-duty doctor — rushed to the injured man’s aid, applying a tourniquet to his injuries and calling emergency services.

Police say those swift actions most likely saved the man’s life.

An equally rapid response from police meant the 25-year-old allegedly driving the ute and wielding the hammer was in custody within 14 minutes of that call.

“It is possible the victim was struck by the vehicle, and a secondary assault has then occurred by the offender with the use of a hammer,” Supt Walsh said.

“During the incident the victim has sustained significant injuries to his leg.

“The victim has a severed leg, the lower part of his leg. He’s also received some injuries which we believe have been caused by the use of the hammer.”

After descending on the house under construction, police removed several items of interest in various evidence bags.

They simultaneously shut down West Coast Highway for hours as they processed that potential crime scene. And they searched for the weapon they believed was used in the alleged attack.

Large blood spatters and clothes could be seen along the road, as detectives combed the beachside surrounds.

A witness, who did not want to be named, said she saw a man walk past her holding what appeared to be a hammer before going into the water — emerging again without it.

“When I was leaving the beach, I heard someone talking really loud, and as I was coming off the walkway, this guy passed me with no shirt on, just shorts on, and was talking weird,” she said.

“He had a carjack or a hammer and he said ‘sorry ma’am … then he kept walking past me and then when I turned around he was in the ocean and I thought ‘that was weird’.

“Then when I turned around again he’d come up.”

Police were later seen at the beach dressed in wetsuits at Floreat beach preparing to enter the ocean.

They were also in the nearby bushland and recovered what appeared to be a claw hammer late in the day.