Paul Duncanson was killed in a vicious brawl in Braybrook on Saturday night. Credit:Facebook Ms Duncanson told Channel Seven she hoped her sons' attackers "rot in hell". "My heart seems to be ripped out of my chest," she said. Paul's friends have left tributes on social media, describing him as a man with a "heart of gold". The attack has left residents shocked, some of whom heard the victims plead for their lives.

Blood stains on the footpath where a man was run down by a car and attacked by a gang in Braybrook on Saturday night. Credit:Darrian Traynor Police believe the two men were struck by a car, then assaulted by the occupants, who fled the scene in a silver hatchback. A machete was used in the attack, according to radio station 3AW. Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the incident in Braybrook which left one man dead and another fighting for life. Credit:Channel 9 News Paul, 40, was taken to hospital where he later died. Sean, 44, underwent surgery on Sunday and remains at The Alfred in a serious but stable condition.

Residents woke on Sunday morning to find blood splattered across their quiet suburban street, pooled in puddles on their lawns and splashed onto their fences. Police and paramedics at the scene of a vicious brawl in Castley Crescent, Braybrook. Credit:Channel 9 News One homeowner, Vi – who asked not have his surname published – was using a high-pressure hose and industrial detergent to clean blood stains splashed on his garage and driveway. The builder was home with his wife and 13-month-old daughter on Saturday night when he heard swearing and shouting coming from the street outside and called police.

"It was too dark," he said. "They were swearing at each other first, and then fighting. [The fighting] was quick. Five minutes, if that." Joy, 78, also heard the commotion and woke to find puddles of drying blood outside her house. "I heard the noise, I could hear the argument and then the next minute I could hear, after about, say, five or 10 minutes, I could hear this voice saying, 'help me, please help me'," she said. "It sounded like they were angry, there was a lot of strong words going on.

"I just thought it was a natural argument, that they'd had an argument in the car and they come out or they threw him or her out the car." Joy said she was going to call for an ambulance, but heard sirens in the street when she picked up the phone. She saw police interviewing a girl sitting outside her house afterwards but didn't see the fight. "I didn't want to come out, because I didn't know if someone else was around," she said. "I didn't know if someone else was going to jump out and grab me. I'm on my own.

"I was too scared, I was honestly too scared." There have been conflicting accounts of the ethnicity of those involved, with at least two men on BMX bikes who claim to have witnessed the events telling media the offenders were of African decent. But one homeowner and witness, who didn't want to be named, refuted that claim. "They were all white guys," he said. "It was clear." The resident, who lives several houses down the street from where the incident occurred, said he came outside on Saturday night when he heard a "massive altercation".

"There was a car parked in the centre of the road with its lights still on," he said. "I only saw three attackers and one guy that was getting pulverised." The witness said he was too afraid to get closer but he didn't see any weapons being used in the attack. Instead, he heard the sounds of flesh being struck. "You could hear the dense thuds," he said. "With the amount of time that the three of them had, you knew that it was going to be serious, cause it went on for about five, seven minutes, and that's a long time for someone to take that.

"I knew last night that whoever was there, they were going to kill him. You could hear it." Ms Duncanson said her sons lived together in a unit in Braybrook and were close. "When Sean comes out of the coma alright, I have got to break the news that Paul died last night," she said. Ms Duncanson said she had already lost two children: a son to an accident and a daughter, who took her own life. Inspector Kelly Lawson said police were still trying to determine how many people were involved in the brawl and what weapons may have been used.

A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokeswoman said firefighters were washing blood from the streets on Sunday afternoon. "We get called out to do biological wash-aways in public places once the police are done, once it's no longer a crime scene," the spokeswoman said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.