Australian Man Sentenced for Fatal Attack at Crown Casino

08:46
02 Sep

In June 2023, an Australian man named Tyson Armstrong was sentenced to ten years in prison for a fatal unprovoked attack on a patron at Melbourne's Crown Casino.

The incident occurred in March, 2022, when Armstrong encountered Luke Francis, a local tradesman, while walking through the casino with his girlfriend.

The court heard that Francis was taunted by 28-year-old Armstrong but he did not engage him. Armstrong then tackled his 29-year-old victim from behind before twice striking him in the face.

Tessa Penberthy, Francis’s girlfriend, pushed Armstrong away from Francis as he taunted his victim who collapsed on the floor.

“You can’t handle me, am I too big for you?”

Armstrong then left the scene with his cousin laughing and joking as they went.

Despite attempts by his girlfriend, casino staff, and paramedics to save him, Francis succumbed to his injuries a few days later in hospital after his family agreed to turn off his life support. The bleeding in his brain was too severe for any chance of recovery.

Penberthy, said:

“We were just going home, Luke didn’t want any part of it. He’s got kids, he took that away from Luke – he didn’t get a chance to have a family or a future.”

On being arrested, Armstrong lied to the police about what happened, claiming that Francis wanted the pair to go outside to fight.

Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney described Armstrong as a "violent, drunken thug" during the sentencing, adding he will not be eligible for parole until after serving eight years of his sentence.

“This attack was not expected or anticipated by Luke and was a cowardly sneak-attack. By your mindless act of violence, you took the life of a much-loved young man with his whole life before him.”

The victim's family was gutted by what they considered an insufficient sentence, with Francis's mother calling Armstrong "nothing but a coward".