Arresting Times With Party Season Now In Full Swing

The Age

Saturday January 10, 2009

Farah Farouque and Andra Jackson, With Reko Rennie and AAP

LAST summer it was Corey Worthington's shindig in Narre Warren. Now the axis for adolescent excess has shifted westward to Werribee where another teenage party has ended in police air wing intervention, a media frenzy - and even some bad behaviour from the grown-ups.

Predictably, social networking site MySpace had a role to play.

Host Mark Marangoni, 18, has blamed an "idiot" friend for promoting his party on the social networking site. He insists it always was meant to be a modest turnout "for a few mates" at his dad's house. Thanks to free-flowing internet - and alcohol - the event apparently got out of control.

The morning after, Mark explained the genesis of the big-night-in - and for a time, anyway - promised not to do it again.

"My mate was an idiot and put something in MySpace inviting 100 guys and 100 girls," he told reporters outside his home.

He also issued a mea culpa - of sorts. "No more parties, I'll never do it again. The police grabbed people and pushed them. I'm feeling a bit tired today."

In the wash-up, four young men were arrested. To get the mostly under-age crowd under control, police sent a helicopter and the dog squad.

When police responded to complaints about the party around 11.30 on Wednesday night and tried to end the affair, some among the 200 mostly under-age revellers became aggressive.

Police say they were pelted with rocks and bottles as the crowd dispersed.

Mark included this prescient note on his MySpace page before the event: "There will be security at the door. $5 entry fee due to damages from previous parties."

However, he and his father Imerio (right) continue to blame police - rather than their guests - for the ensuing ruckus. "Police were kicking the arses of the people," Imerio Marangoni, a septuagenarian, alleged.

Assistant Commissioner Bob Hastings insisted, however, that police actions at the home were proportionate.

"We had calls here that the situation was developing and potentially getting out of hand and we believe police responded adequately and appropriately."

Another two people were arrested at a gathering in the western suburb of Cairnlea, which "grew" from a joint birthday party for two sisters (aged 14 and 16), after "friends told friends who told friends".

The two were charged with being drunk and bailed.

Between 40 to 60 youths were evicted from the party by the girls' angry brother after he and his mother arrived home late from a funeral to find the "party for 11" had grown considerably bigger. The girls' brother Ben promptly called the police.

As the crowd began to leave, up to 20 males turned on police, one throwing a rock through the rear window of a police car. Police used capsicum spray to control the group.

Ben, whose family had moved into the house three weeks ago, said he had visited neighbours during the night to apologise for the disruption. -- With REKO RENNIE and AAP

© 2009 The Age

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