The coward behind the fatal bashing of an elderly man in Perth’s east almost two years ago will spend at least 21 years behind bars.
Emiliano Lombardi, 84, captured the hearts of Australians after WA Police released horrific photos of the grandfather, showing the extent of 29-year-old Quade Karsum Jones’ heartless attack that shocked the nation in August 2020.
A week ago, the WA Supreme Court heard how a heavily intoxicated Jones went on an hour-long crime spree, assaulting Mr Lombardi along with six other people.
Police say Jones ripped a side mirror from Mr Lombardi’s car before confronting the pensioner outside his home and smashing him over the head and face with the mirror, leaving the elderly man covered in blood and with catastrophic injuries.
The court sentenced Jones to life imprisonment, but he will be eligible for parole in 2043.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Lombardi’s son, Don, said the loss of his father, in such heinous circumstances, had “broken me as a man”.
Mr Lombardi, or “papa” to his family, spent two weeks in hospital – with photos from that period buoying the hopes of the nation as it appeared he may recover from his injuries.
Don (pictured with his father, below) told the court, his father eventually asked his family and hospital staff to “let me go”.
“Every part of these two weeks I will never forget and are permanently etched on my brain,” Don told the court.
“This experience broke me as a man and affected me to the core of my existence.
“My sister, brother and I held my dad for hours in his final hours to say it was going to be okay.”
Don said the task of cleaning his father’s East Cannington home following the attack was traumatic.
“Going to my dad’s house to see blood everywhere was so private and personal and I remember not letting my wife come into the house – not wanting her to see the pain in the house and see my pain clearly on my face,” he said.
“Blood on every door, wall, floor and piece of furniture.
“I remember wanting to clean this house with my sister to clean the blood to erase the memory of the incident – trying to heal my dad as I was healing that house.”
Mr Lombardi, the fifth victim of Jones that day, lived alone and was in good health at the time of his ‘very severe and vicious assault’ the court was told.
Bleeding heavily, a gutsy Mr Lombardi was able to make his way back inside his home and into his bed following the beating he received from Jones.
Jones went on to beat up another neighbour of Mr Lombardi. The drunken Jones pulling a letterbox from the ground and throwing it at the man before heading to a local train station where he assaulted a woman.
In his sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Hall said there was “no rational reason” for the violence carried out by Jones on that fateful day.
“You attacked indiscriminately, anyone who had the misfortune to come into contact with you,” he said.
“Despite the obvious severity of the injuries to Mr Lombardi, you made no effort to render him assistance. Rather, you left him alone and badly injured and continued on your way, attacking others as you went.”
Jones’ lawyer told the court his client had “no true memory” of the attacks. He said Jones felt guilty for his actions and had no intention to kill.
“He regrets it. It is behaviour he thinks about all the time and if he could take it back, he would,” the barrister said.
Jones had initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty late last year.
