Man beaten up for refusing to give mobile phone

Three unidentified miscreants demanded a mobile phone from a Serbia-born Australian citizen, and bashed him up with wooden planks when he refused to do so, a media report said.

Pavle Kljaic, 59, was walking down a street in Balga, a suburb of Perth, around 8 p.m. June 21 when he was approached by three men who demanded his mobile phone.

When Kljaic, who speaks only limited English, told them he did not understand, he was searched by one man, while the other two hit him repeatedly with wooden planks, the Australian reported quoting police officials.

Kljaic needed 14 stitches on his head and also sustained wounds to his shoulders and left eye.

The attackers ultimately grabbed Kljaic's phone and fled.

"He says first they were hitting and hitting him until he fell, he doesn't remember anymore after that. He says the blow to his head was really severe," said Lara Mittic, Kljaic's friend who translated his speech during a media interview.

Kljaic said he was confused about why he had fallen victim to such a violent attack, describing himself as a "good law abiding citizen" who had been minding his own business.

Mittic said her friend was "a nice person and doesn't deserve this".

Meanwhile, Amity Hudson, acting deputy sergeant, said it appeared the attack only ended because a passerby interupted.

"It was an unprovoked attack and very violent, they did use weapons and it continued for a period of time," Hudson said.

Police have released descriptions of the three men, each aged between 17 and 20, in a bid for the community to help find them.