Ghost busted

By Tania Martin
A SASSAFRAS man is fed up with being attacked by would-be ghost busters.
Malcolm Johnson, 67, was bashed with a baseball bat last week after trying to take photographs of his attacker’s car licence plates.
Mr Johnson said he is sick and tired of people throwing stones at his car and house and running around his garden because they think it’s haunted.
Senior Constable David Creek of Monbulk police said a group of people were throwing stones at Mr Johnson’s house and car on Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, shortly after 10.15pm on Tuesday, 2 January, when the attack happened.
Mr Johnson was bashed while attempting to take a photograph of his attackers’ licence plates.
He said a group of more than 10 people attacked him with a baseball bat for more than three minutes before stealing his mobile phone and fleeing.
“I was scared for my life,” he said.
Mr Johnson said the only reason he attempted to get the licence plate numbers was so the police could identify the people throwing stones at his house.
Sen Const Creek said police are now looking for three vehicles seen at the scene including a black Mercedes, black coupe and an early model brown Ford.
Mr Johnson has lived in the house known as Rostrevor since the 1960s but it has only been the past 25 years that he has had trouble with would be ghost busters.
Mr Johnson said the trouble started when well-known paranormal enthusiast Kevin Arnett, who died in the 1980s, wrote a series of stories about ghosts and ghouls in the area.
He said every full moon for the past quarter of a century has prompted people to come out to see if they can catch a glimpse of a ghost.
“They think just because my house looks like a Walt Disney manor that it is haunted.” Mr Johnson said he is fed up with people stamping all over his garden, throwing stones at his house and damaging windows.
“It’s not a lot of damage but it is the small things that cost a lot and every time they break a window it costs me $800,” he said.
He said he is not able to sleep when it is a full moon because of the noise of would-be ghost busters throwing things at his house. “I am fed up. I can’t sleep because every time I turn the light out they appear,” he said.
Despite the years of abuse Mr Johnson refuses to be run out of his home by the stone-throwing ghost busters.
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything should contact Monbulk police on 9756 6266.