November 18, 2009 1:01 PM

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Long jail terms to attackers of Indian doctor in Oz

An Australian court on Wednesday handed out long jail terms to three attackers of a prominent Indian origin doctor, Mukesh Hairkerwal who was hit with a baseball bat by one of the assailants. Victoria’s State County Court Judge Joe Gullaci jailed 20-year-old Alfer Azzopardi, who bashed Hairkerwal with serious blows with a baseball bat, for 18-and-a-half years with a minimum of 13-and-a-half years. Haikerwal, a former chief of Australian Medical Association, was walking through a park in the bayside suburb of Williamstown on September 27 last year when he was bashed by the men. The court was told that Haikerwal's skull was heard to crack after Azzopardi took a swing like he was hitting a six at cricket, causing a severe head injury to the doctor.<br/><br/>Another co-accused Michael Baltatzis, 20, of Glenroy, who together with Azzopardi took part in 23 armed robberies over a two-month period, was jailed for 16-and-a-half years and must serve 10-and-a-half years before being eligible for parole. A third man, Sean Gabriel, 20, of Hoppers Crossing, was jailed for nine years and nine months with a minimum of six years.<br/><br/>

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