Shocking moment a homeless man is stabbed and left for dead by a gang of hooded teens in Bendigo

By KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and NICK WILSON FOR AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 11:11, 5 June 2026 | Updated: 11:19, 5 June 2026 Confronting CCTV has emerged of the moment a homeless man was set upon and stabbed by a group of hooded teens during a 'cowardly' and unprovoked attack. Emergency services were called to Bendigo's Sporting Globe Bar and Grill Bendigo, in central Victoria at about 9pm on Thursday night, after the injured victim staggered into the venue with multiple stab wounds. The man, 41, was rushed to hospital in a serious but stable condition, as police launched a manhunt for his attackers. CCTV showed the man standing by himself in a dark laneway when he was confronted by four balaclava-clad males.  Yelling could be heard as the man tried to defend himself but was quickly outnumbered and cornered. He was attacked repeatedly and slashed in the upper body as he attempted to escape.  The group fled the scene as the victim stumbled 500m to Sporting Globe Bendigo for help.  'Their behaviour is extremely cowardly,' Detective Acting Sergeant Justin Ludeman  told reporters. CCTV captured the moment a homeless man was confronted by four males in a Bendigo laneway on Thursday night The homeless man tried to escape but was cornered, beaten and stabbed 'This male is just going about his everyday business and he appears to have just been set upon by these four males. 'Any member of the public just going about their day-to-day business to be seemingly [the victim of an] unprovoked attack is disturbing.' He insisted there was no ongoing threat to the public. 'The nature, the style of offending, attempting to cover their identity, I understand that would put fear into the general public but police are conducting reassurance controls, and we believe it is an isolated incident,' Det Ludeman said. He added that the man may have died if it wasn't for the quick-thinking bar staff who rushed to his aid. Sporting Globe Bendigo owner Leigh Stevens praised the efforts of staff, who remain 'deeply concerned' by the incident. 'The only thing I'd like to add is that I'm extremely proud of how my staff and patrons acted during this incident,' he told AAP. 'They provided first aid until emergency responders arrived and should be commended.' The group were captured on CCTV roaming the Bendigo CBD shortly before the attack The victim stumbled 500m from Bath Lane to Sporting Globe Bendigo The incident has rocked the Bendigo community, including business owners. Nearby kebab shop owner Sejin Ahn recalled seeing three young males roaming the CBD and screaming at passers-by shortly before the stabbing. '[They] were just yelling, 'Watch your back, I'm going to stab you,'' he told the ABC. 'It's so scary. It's very scary.' 'Because, you know, I'm running the shop till late every night. It's very dangerous.' Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan, who is also the local MP, condemned the attack. 'That was an absolutely horrifying incident and my thoughts are with the victim and their family and loved ones,' she said. 'I'm advised that police are investigating, and if there is anyone in the community who can assist police in that investigation I would encourage them to provide any information they may have.' Allan, whose government has faced pressure over rising crime rates, denied police were powerless to deal with repeat offenders. She pointed to strengthened knife seizure powers, a machete ban, tougher bail laws and higher sentences for youths who commit serious crimes.  Police urge anyone with information to come forward or call Crime Stoppers. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.