'My head used as a trampoline'

A 21-year-old man feared he would be killed when he was bashed by three "savages" in daylight on St Georges Terrace.

Josh Pinker said the weekend attack, in which he was repeatedly booted in the face and smashed over the head with beer bottles, was unprovoked and he believes it was a case of mistaken identity.

The three men, unknown to Mr Pinker, taunted the Alexander Heights labourer as a "snitch" and a "dog" as they unleashed their fury.

"I saw the boots coming to my face and thought 'Is this the last one'," Mr Pinker said.

"I went into the foetal position and just prayed . . . they wouldn't kill me. They used my head as a trampoline. That's the best way to describe it."

The ordeal started about 3pm on Sunday when Mr Pinker's car was pelted with bottles on Hay Street.

Worried for the safety of his two female passengers, Mr Pinker ran two red lights along Milligan Street before parking on St Georges Terrace to check the damage to his vehicle.

While on the phone to police, Mr Pinker was struck to the side of the face with a bottle.

The assault spilled across the Terrace as the attackers ignored the pleas of Mr Pinker's friends to stop. One of the women was also hit in the face.

"It was savage, absolutely cowardly," Mr Pinker said. "I feel like a truck hit me, then reversed and hit me again."

Mr Pinker spent Sunday night at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital where he was treated for cuts and bruising.

He said doctors commented on how lucky he was to escape serious injury.

Police are investigating the incident and whether it was a case of mistaken identity.

The three heavily tattooed men are believed to be in their late 20s. One wore a white tank top while another had a red shirt on. The third man had no shirt and was believed to be from New Zealand.