Horrific video shows good Samaritan bashed by gang in Melbourne

A former soldier has fallen victim to an alleged gang bashing when he went to help a woman in trouble in a Melbourne park.

Ben Woolley found himself in the fray because a woman needed help.

"A young girl was being attacked," he said.

Mr Woolley was confronting a group of eight thugs which allowed her to escape, which is when the mob turned on him.

"They just came in with full force with every weapon they had at their disposal," he said.

Using the end of an umbrella, pieces of steel and rocks, they repeatedly thrashed him.

"Some of the women in the group, as the men were hitting me — they were calling for the guys to kill me."

Coming in and out of consciousness, Mr Woolley was sure he would die.

READ MORE: Black Rock COVID-19 cluster in Victoria spans across multiple households, three new local cases recorded

"Regardless of whether I was conscious or not they were just going to keep attacking me," he said.

"That was my concern, I didn't think that I would survive it."

His partner Jessica Davies witnessed and filmed the alleged attack.

"They were just out to kill and it was just so vicious and traumatic.

"I thought he was going to die."

Ben now has cracked ribs, dislodged teeth, a broken nose and his vision is impaired.

Mr Woolley spent more than a decade in the army as an infantry soldier still carries emotional scars.

Today he compared what happened to being in combat and says the violent bashing has worsened his mental health.

READ MORE: Westin Melbourne will no longer quarantine Australian Open stars as doubt cast over F1 Grand Prix

"In the ambulance, he actually thought that he was leaving the battlefield," Ms Davies said.

"The paramedics had to tell him no."

Ajah Atem, 18, has been charged over the alleged incident.

She has been remanded in custody and will front the Dandenong Magistrates Court on January 19.

Despite all Ben's injuries, he says he would do it again.

"I was just disgusted and horrified that they would attack that girl like that," he said.

"I think anyone would have done the exact same thing."