Birthday party brawl: Sydney police arrest men, woman after fight at Wetherill Park play centre
By
Brad Ryan
Updated about 2 hours agoTue 14 Jul 2015, 10:31am
Video: Brawl breaks out at children's playground (ABC News) See link for video:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-...wl-wetherill-park-play-centre-arrests/6617534
A brawl at a six-year-old's birthday party in Sydney's south-west last month has led to the arrests of three men and a woman.
Three men were taken to hospital after the fight, which lasted about five minutes at Wetherill Park's Lollipops Playland centre on Sunday, June 21.
The play centre was busy at the time and children could be seen hiding and crying on video footage, which was later shared online and viewed thousands of times.
"The behaviour that we saw at the play centre was something that I just cannot understand," Fairfield Superintendent Peter Lennon said. "There are a number of children who can be seen on the footage who are extremely upset and crying."
At the time, police said they were investigating reports a fight between two groups was sparked when a man pulled a girl's hair.
It was believed a 48-year-old man, who was accused of pulling the six-year-old's hair, was injured after being confronted by men from another group.
Two other men from his group were also injured when they intervened.
"They're OK, they've been assisting police with their inquiries and I understand they've all recovered from their injuries," Superintendent Lennon said.
"The incident started over two young girls - the oldest was six years of age - having a minor dispute as maybe young girls do in playground centres. It escalated into a number of men and at least one woman engaging in what I would call a brawl, which lasted for five or six minutes, at a children's play centre. I can't understand people's reactions in that circumstance."
Superintendent Lennon said five homes across south-west Sydney were searched this morning. Clothes and other items were seized and police arrested:
- a man, 35, at Middleton Grange
- a man, 61, and a woman, 31, at Hoxton Park
- a man, 38, at Greenfield Park
They were taken to Fairfield and Green Valley police stations. Superintendent Lennon said more arrests were expected.
"A number of further persons are being sought by the police and we're starting to make contact with those," he said. "We're seeking another three people to come forward, although our investigations are still continuing in relation to those people."
Charges are expected to be laid this afternoon.
