On Thursday, 10 April 2025, a 21-year-old man from Wyong was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment at Downing Centre Local Court after pleading guilty to ‘Affray and Common assault’. Other unrelated charges were taken into account during the sentencing, and he was sentenced to an aggregate term of two years imprisonment to be served from 16 January 2025.
The Manly Wharf brawl, which happened on 6 January 2025, centred on a teenage boy who was assaulted by a group of young men and chased into a Manly restaurant where Good Samaritans stood guard and prevented the attackers from entering.
The Wyong man was a bystander but joined the melee for no known reason. He menaced several people at the restaurant and spat on a woman who challenged the attackers.
He was given a non-parole period of 14 months and will be eligible for release from prison on 15 March 2026.
Read our earlier coverage of the event and subsequent arrests:
Couple save boy begging for life in manly wharf teen brawl
Police Strike Force Crookhaven formed following Manly Brawl – new witnesses now sought
Third arrest made over Manly Wharf brawl
Manly Wharf brawl accused faces Manly Court
Arrest made following the attack of an 89-year-old man in his Narrabeen home
On Monday, 14 April 2025, an 89-year-old man, who lives in a retirement home at Narrabeen, answered a knock at his door. A man who lives nearby burst into the home and is alleged to have attacked the victim by forcing him to the ground. The victim yelled out and witnesses came forward to help.
Police and ambulance were called, and the victim was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital where he was treated for bruising, cuts and abrasions.
A crime scene was established and two hours later, the 52-year-old local offender was arrested at Pittwater Road, Narrabeen. He was taken to Manly Police Station and charged with ‘Aggravated enter dwelling with intent to inflict actual bodily harm’, ‘Intentionally choke person’, and ‘Assault occasioning actual bodily harm’.
The offender was refused bail until 10 June 2025, and will appear at the Downing Centre Local Court.
There is no doubt the victim was traumatised by the incident. He was grateful to the neighbours who came to his aid.
Manly Vale man extorted after online sex encounter
On Sunday, 13 April 2025, a Manly Vale man was browsing online pornography and received a message from a woman. They agreed to communicate through an encrypted application. He shared naked videos with the other person.
The other person extorted the Manly Vale man for money by threatening to publish the videos to friends. He transferred money to a bank account held in the Philippines.
He stopped communicating with the offender and reported the extortion to police. Luckily, he only lost several hundred dollars.
He did the right thing by reporting the incident to police. Police would like the public to know that when a similar matter is reported to police, people will not get into trouble, provided the activity is among consenting adults.
The general advice from police about online extortion is:
- Do not send money.
- Stop the chat.
- Take screen shots of the text messages and threats.
- Block the offending account and report it to the platform.
- Report it to the police.
- Think twice before sharing intimate images.
Crime Watch Northern Beaches is a weekly wrap up of local crimes and incidents from the Northern Beaches Police Area Command. If you saw or can help with any of the below incidents, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or here. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. You can also contact Dee Why Police Station 9971 3399.
