Perth tradie stood guard over victim of alleged machete attack

A Good Samaritan has told of the moment he rushed to help a woman who arrived at his garage covered in blood after a horrific machete attack in Perth’s north.

Police launched an urgent search for Brandon Lee Kelly, 30, on Tuesday after he allegedly attacked the woman after breaking into her home about 9.50am before fleeing the scene on an electric bike.

CCTV captures the moment the Holden Commodore Brandon Lee Kelly was a passenger in crashes with another car during a police chase in Guildford.Credit: Nine News Perth

Kelly was arrested later that afternoon following a police chase in Guildford, during which the Holden Commodore he was a passenger in crashed into several cars, leaving him and the 22-year-old woman allegedly behind the wheel with several broken bones, and sending a mother and her eight-week-old baby to hospital.

A search of the Commodore allegedly uncovered two clip seal bags of methamphetamine. Kelly and the 22-year-old alleged driver were due to undergo surgery and face bedside hearings from Royal Perth Hospital on Wednesday.

Perth tradie Mike Fisher was working just a few houses down from the Butler property where Kelly allegedly broke in carrying a machete.

Police allege Kelly grabbed the woman and hit her several times to the back of the head with the machete, leaving her bloodied and with another severe wound to her thumb as she attempted to defend herself.

Fisher told 6PR’s Gary Adshead he didn’t hear the commotion, but turned around to find the woman “covered in blood”, on the phone to emergency services and pleading for help.

“She was hysterical, couldn’t speak to [the triple-zero operator] … I’ve taken the phone and spoken to them, they’ve then rung me back a short time later to confirm police and the ambulance was on its way,” he said.

“I’ve then grabbed my level and basically stood between her and where she’d come from, just in case – because I had no idea what was going on, she just said she’d been attacked – and sat there and waited there for a good 10 minutes until the police turned up,” he said.

“I figured it was obviously a sharp object, with the cuts that she had, so I just stood leaning against the car between her and where she’d come from … I had no idea what was going on, whoever the person was, [if] he was coming back.”

Fisher said the woman was “pretty hysterical – which you’d completely understand”, but didn’t say much otherwise while the tradie grabbed some rags to help stem the bleeding.

“It was just a major shock to the system, it’s not every day you turn around and then someone’s just standing there with blood everywhere like something out of a Halloween movie,” he said.

On top of the charges stemming from Tuesday’s incidents, Kelly is also accused of breaking into a Hammond Park home and stealing a Volkswagen T-Roc station wagon in September. Police claim the car was found in the rear yard of a Gosnells property a month later with altered plates.

Kelly has been charged with aggravated home burglary, unlawful wounding, possessing a controlled weapon, stealing a motor vehicle, breach of bail and possessing methamphetamine.

The 22-year-old woman allegedly behind the wheel of the Commodore has been charged with breach of bail, driving on a suspended licence, reckless driving to escape a police pursuit, failure to stop and dangerous driving causing bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.