'I heard screaming': Married At First Sight groom Timothy Smith revealed details of 'terrifying' Melbourne machete incident after detaining teen suspect
Married At First Sight star Timothy Smith has revealed details of a terrifying Melbourne machete incident after he detained a teenage suspect allegedly wielding the weapon while "targeting a woman".
5 | WATCH: Timothy from MAFS detains machete-wielding teenager in Melbourne |
Married At First Sight's Timothy Smith has revealed details of a terrifying Melbourne machete incident during which he detained a teenage suspect.
Smith, who was paired with Lucinda Light on season 11, has swapped a reality TV career for one in politics.
He is now running as an independent candidate for Melbourne, where he is formally challenging Greens leader Adam Bandt in the May 3 election.
Smith was speaking to locals on Izett St in the inner-city suburb of Prahran with his campaign manager believed to be Luke Balasingam when he encountered Melbourne’s youth crime epidemic on Friday about 3pm.
CCTV footage shows the dramatic moment Smith intervened when two teenage boys sprinted past him.
One of the 14-year-old boys was allegedly wielding a machete while wearing a balaclava.
According to Smith, the teens had threatened a woman shortly before he began his pursuit.
Smith spoke to SkyNews.com.au on Monday and said "instinct kicked in" when he "heard screaming".
"I chased after the kid. They were targeting a young woman. It was terrifying,” he said.
“This kind of thing is becoming normal. Leaders are turning a blind eye.”
Smith said outdated laws, a cost-of-living crisis, and young people turning to crime out of desperation caused youth crime in Melbourne.
“Back in the day, kids hung out at milk bars or arcades," he said.
"Now, they’re stealing sneakers, mugging women, robbing houses and knives are part of the culture. Nobody wants to talk about it, but I will.”
Further footage from the incident shows Smith standing in front of a teenager while police gathered around for questioning, as one agitated bystander chided people for filming the boy.
It comes after Smith submitted his nomination papers to the Australian Electoral Commission last Thursday, officially entering the race against Bandt for the federal seat of Melbourne.
“It’s a crowded field. There’s The Greens, Labor, Liberal, The Fusion Party, One Nation, Koutoufides, and now myself. Seven of us are vying for this seat," he told SkyNews.com.au.
“Victorians are sick of weak bail laws. Crime is up, and the politicians aren’t listening.
"They claim there’s no money to fight crime, yet billions are being poured into overseas defence deals.”
He used the $330 billion submarine deal with the United States as an example.
“That’s money we could be spending right here - on housing, inflation relief, and putting more police on the streets," he said.
"Instead, we’re importing steel from Canada, and now it could blow out by another $30 billion. It’s madness.”
"Federal support is critical if state governments are going to get serious about public safety".
“If Canberra steps up - funds more Federal Police provides resources to help lock up violent offenders - we’ll see change.
"Right now, they’re saying there’s no money to put criminals behind bars. Well, if someone commits a violent crime, lock them up. It’s that simple.”
Since announcing his candidacy to his 218,000 social media followers, Smith has hit the streets of Melbourne and engaged with residents about his crime message.
As his campaign gathers momentum, Timothy Smith’s transformation from reality TV star to political disruptor is one few saw coming.
A MAFS production insider from Endemol Shine Australia told SkyNews.com.au Tim was "arguably the most likable participant we’ve had in the last few seasons".
“Producers described him as the easiest person they’ve ever dealt with on a reality show. That’s saying something," the insider said.
Victoria Police revealed the state is experiencing an unprecedented surge in crime, with offences in 2024 soaring to their highest level in almost 10 years.
More than 600,000 criminal offences were recorded in the state in 2024, an increase of 82,237, or an uptick of 15.7 per cent from the year before.
The figure marks the highest crime rate since 2016.