Twenty-seven-year-old Gerard Dunne is to be arraigned Aug. 10 on assault charges stemming from a June incident in which a local man was severely beaten after an art gallery opening in Malibu, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Dunne, who is the nephew of actor and Malibu resident Mel Gibson, is being charged with one count of assault with intent to produce great bodily injury and one count of battery, Deputy District Attorney Mara McIlvain said on Friday.
Topanga resident Kevin Fraser told The Malibu Times that he was sleeping in a camper behind Malibu Mountain Gallery on Mulholland Highway after the gallery’s opening June 10. Shortly after midnight on June 11, Fraser said Dunne came in to the trailer where he was sleeping and began punching him. Fraser said he fell onto the floor, and Dunne continued to kick him, and then left. Fraser said he sustained a broken nose and a broken rib, and required 40 stitches to his face from the attack.
Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s deputies arrested Dunne June 11 at 1:12 a.m. and booked him at 3:05 a.m. at the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s Station, with a bail set at $30,000, according to the Sheriff Department’s online inmate information portal. He was released on June 12, after the bail was paid.
Before the beating occurred, Fraser said he had spent the day of Friday, June 10 at the gallery opening to display an interactive art piece of his, but did not see Dunne there.
Rio Dejarnette, who owns the art gallery, confirmed the account to The Malibu Times, although he said he was not present during the beating.
Dejarnette told The Malibu Times that Dunne and two friends were at the opening, and said Dunne appeared to grow jealous of attention Fraser was receiving for his exhibit from female patrons. After the gallery opening, Fraser said he went to Dejarnette’s camper behind the gallery to sleep, after which the attack occurred.
Fraser told The Malibu Times he plans to pursue a lawsuit against Dunne.