Penelope Katsavos’ life will never be the same again after the brutal attack on her on the steps of the Greek Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in South Yarra last March.

The 79-year old Melbourne grandmother had unlocked the front door of the Greek Orthodox church, when the 27-year-old Amrick Roy viciously attacked her on March 13, 2021.

The student who bashed the Greek grandmother in the early hours of the morning, was on a night out to “cheer up” after the death of his own grandmother, the court heard last Friday. The attack on Kyria Popi, who had looked after the church for over thirty years, was random.

“She is recovering. She still has health issues and mobility issues,” her son Evripides told Neos Kosmos.

They were forced to place their father, Thomas, who suffers from dementia, into a nursing home, since his mother was no longer capable to take care of him. This is what has cost her dearly her son told Neos Kosmos.

“She has always been strong and active, and she is frustrated that she cannot do what she used to do. She gets very tired. She is trying to recover from the psychological impact the attack had on her,” her son said, and with the trial in progress, everything’s coming back again.”

“Once the case is over, we can settle down and be as normal as can be, I guess,” Thomas said.

The accused in a photo from a security camera released by the police. Photo: Victoria Police

The devastating attack on the grandmother took place shortly after 6am. Stonnington Council employees found her unconscious half an hour later and called an ambulance.

The image of her bleeding on the steps of the church shocked the nation, especially the Greek community.

In her victim impact statement read out in court, the 79-year-old Kyria Popi said that she had been robbed of her independence and the ability to care for her husband who suffers from dementia, after her serious injuries. Two brain bleeds, a broken wrist, and a severely broken hip.

Popi (Penelope) Katsavos with her granddaughter Sotiria. Photo: Supplied

“At 78 I was looking forward to spending all my time loving and caring for my husband. Amrick Roy your decision means that I will be spending my last days, months and years trying to cope with pain and fatigue… isolated from my friends and family and separated from my husband.”

“I miss freedom, I miss feeling safe.”

Amrick Roy’s defence lawyer told the court that his client’s grandmother had recently passed and a friend convinced him to go to the Revolver Upstairs nightclub in Prahran on the night of March 12 to ‘cheer him up’, according to the Herald Sun.

After a night of heavy drinking, the 27-year-old assaulted a number of people on the streets, before turning on the elderly woman.

Despite everything she has been through, and is still going through Ms Katsavos said that she has forgiven Roy.

“My only hope is that… you will learn how to be a better person.”

Nina Zimmerman, forensic psychologist, testified Roy has schizophrenia and had not been taking his medication for weeks before the attack but she did not believe he met the criteria for a mental impairment defence.

Amrick Roy will be sentenced on Friday.