Skip to main content

Home News News World

Two men charged after allegedly attacking a gay man with a meat cleaver

Joseph Stanislav was left with lacerations to his face following the attack

By Steve Brown

Words: Steve Brown

Two men have been charged after allegedly attacking a man with a meat cleaver on Mardi Gras.

Joseph Stanislav was getting ready to celebrate at Sydney Mardi Gras when two men allegedly hurled derogatory slurs at him and threatened to castrate him while they searched his house for money.

The men proceeded to attack him with a meat cleaver which left lacerations to his face.

Stanislav told the Star Observer: “I felt the cold blade go straight into my forehead, my nose and my eyes.

“They asked for my money, then one of them went through my men’s carry-bag and my medicine bag. I had $150, and I had a packet of Valium and Endone in my medicine bag.

“They said, ‘You’ve gotta have more money than this. You live in Bellevue Hill’. Then one of theme said, ‘What’s this? This is makeup you f****t!’

“Then their eyes went black. Both their eyes went black. He [one of the perpetrators] told me to show him my bank statement.

“I had to reach for my phone to get the statement up, but when I reached for it the guy with the meat-cleaver jumped and smashed me in the face.

“I had to keep my composure, otherwise these guys were going to kill me.

“Then one of them held up the knife and said, ‘Just do as you’re told or we’re going to cut your cock off. We’ll make you into a real girl.”

Stanislav was treated for his wounds before being taken to hospital.

Now, two men, Jay Ehlrich, 18, and Thomas Bowen-Hughes, 21, have appeared at Waverley Local Court last week and both had their bail refused.