They Want To Be With Mum: Children’s Heartbreak After Melbourne Mother At-tacked Protecting Son
The brother of a woman allegedly attacked while protecting her son in Melbourne says he is now afraid of walking through the city with his family.
Phillip Island mother Cherie was stabbed seven times with scissors while protecting her 10-year-old son, who has a brain tumour, in Melbourne’s Docklands.
The 46-year-old single mother suffered a broken leg, eye injuries and puncture wounds when she was allegedly attacked by 27-year-old Jerry Sowood outside Victoria Police Headquarters in Spencer St on Tuesday.
The mother and son had travelled from Phillip Island to Melbourne for a brain scan appointment scheduled for Wednesday.
Sowood allegedly punched the 10-year-old boy in the face, prompting his mother to intervene to protect her son before onlookers also stepped in to help.
Cherie’s brother Kirk Holt said his sister was continuing to recover in hospital.
“She’s very sore. Recovering. They finally stitched up the last of her wounds last night. She’s been very sore, though,” he told ABC.
Holt told the publication that Cherie’s eldest son had run and alerted police, with her children now struggling following the attack.
“(They’ve) had a couple of tough nights,” he said.
“They’re missing mum. They want to be with mum and they’re really worried about how she is and just very wary about people walking along the street.”
Holt created a GoFundMe to support his sister, saying: “Thankfully, they survived but the physical and emotional impact on the family has been significant.
“Cherie is a single mother and is not currently working, so she has very limited financial flexibility to absorb the unexpected costs and disruption caused by this attack.
“At the same time, she must continue supporting her son through his ongoing cancer treatment and monitoring, while caring for her other children and recovering from her own injuries.”
Holt said he was incredibly grateful to the members of the public who stepped in to help during the attack.
Good Samaritans, including Brian Bradley, stepped in to help restrain the alleged attacker.
“It’s just instinct, just what a man should be doing. Instead of picking up a phone and recording, it was just gut instinct to jump in and assist people in need,” Bradley said.
Sowood has been charged with affray, two counts of intentionally cause injury and unlawful assault, conduct endanger life and conduct endanger serious injury.
He made no application for bail in court on Wednesday afternoon and is refusing legal help.
“I was in a mental state of mind and I did what I did,” Sowood told the court.
“At least they’re both still breathing, you know, so I kept my humanity.”
Sowood was remanded into custody to return to court in November.
Holt said he now fears for his and his family’s safety in Melbourne CBD.
“We’re supposed to be one of the top, most liveable cities on earth — not if you’re scared to go out on the streets it’s not,” he told ABC.
Cherie is continuing her recovery at Royal Melbourne Hospital while her son was taken to Royal Children’s Hospital.
