Arabic version: ميك مالتهاوس يدافع عن عائلته خلال محاولة اقتحام منزلي مزعومة

AFL legend Mick Malthouse fought off intruders with an exercise bar as he defended his family during an alleged attempted home invasion in Melbourne last year, a court has heard. The details emerged as one of the three men charged with the break-in made a bail application.

According to ABC News, the incident occurred on September 4, 2025, when Malthouse confronted the intruders who were attempting to break into his penthouse. Victoria Police detective Tyler Sherlock testified that the accused, Joshua Di Cello, had stolen a key fob from a construction company that completed cladding work on Malthouse’s apartment complex on September 1 last year.

Malthouse, 72, described hearing noises from his front door before confronting the trio, who were armed with a jimmy bar. In a struggle, he swung an exercise pole at the intruders, causing them to retreat to the basement. A second confrontation ensued when Malthouse followed them, leading to an altercation where he struck one of the men, Andrew Carroll, in the head with the exercise bar, while also sustaining a superficial stab wound from a screwdriver by Aysar Mashu.

The court heard that the accused have a history of property and car thefts, with Di Cello allegedly involved in multiple incidents during the months leading up to the attempted break-in. The trio remains in custody and has yet to enter a plea regarding the charges. Di Cello’s lawyer requested bail for drug rehabilitation, citing his client’s vulnerabilities, but the prosecution argued for his continued detention due to his extensive criminal history.