Photojournalist dies after brutal Melbourne assault by released immigration detainee
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
The suspect
The veteran photojournalist Dominic O' Brien
Police investigation
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Veteran photojournalist Dominic O'Brien, 62, has died in hospital, six days after being allegedly assaulted in Footscray on Sunday, June 15. The incident occurred just before 10 am at the intersection of Nicholson and Paisley Streets in an outdoor shopping mall, where O'Brien was reportedly approached by 43‑year‑old Lominja Friday Yokoju Yokoju, a former immigration detainee on a bridging visa and part of the 'NZYQ cohort' released after a High Court ruling in late 2023, was arrested at the scene. He was initially charged with intentionally causing serious injury. Witnesses allege Yokoju struck and stomped on O'Brien's head during the confrontation.Dominic O'Brien, a renowned photographer for major outlets including The Age , The Australian, Getty Images, AAP, and Reuters, was a well‑respected figure in photojournalism and known for his work with Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. Colleagues described him as a 'talented storyteller' who embraced both analogue and digital photography techniques.Following O'Brien's death on Saturday morning, June 21, police confirmed they are reviewing the existing charges and may upgrade them pending the outcome of the post‑mortem.Yokoju remains in custody and is scheduled to face the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on October 20, 2025, for a committal hearing.The incident has led to widespread public and political backlash. Figures such as Andrew Hastie and Brad Battin have criticized the government's handling of immigration detainee releases, while the Maribyrnong Council has pledged to bolster safety in Footscray.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
'Limit to everything... ': Madras HC summons ED Joint Director in contempt case over TASMAC scam
Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Joint Director of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Chennai Zone-I unit to appear before it in connection with a contempt petition filed by film producer Akash Bhaskaran. The petition was filed after the agency issued a summons to him despite an interim stay already granted by the court in the probe into the alleged Rs 1,000 crore TASMAC liquor scam. A division bench of Justices M.S. Ramesh and V. Lakshminarayanan expressed displeasure over the agency's conduct. "There is a limit to everything. The officer was present in the court when the stay order was passed. Despite that, he issued the summons," the judges observed. When the ED's counsel argued that the issuance of the summons was not intentional but an oversight, the bench curtly replied: "Let him appear so that he might not repeat this oversight again." It also highlighted the agency's repeated non-compliance. "We directed you to file a counter in the contempt petition. You failed to do so even after several adjournments. We imposed a cost of Rs 30,000. You refused to pay and instead said you would move an appeal against the order imposing cost," the bench remarked. Senior advocate Vijay Narayan, representing Bhaskaran, pointed out that the ED even filed a plea before the High Court seeking waiver of the cost. Earlier in the day, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing through video conferencing, sought time to file an appeal against the cost order. However, the bench insisted that the officer must appear in person. "Let the officer appear on September 17. You can file an appeal against this order also, if you want," the court said, while adjourning the matter to that date. The case relates to alleged large-scale corruption in TASMAC operations. The ED had earlier carried out searches at properties linked to Bhaskaran and businessman Vikram Ravindran, during which documents were seized. However, the High Court subsequently ruled that the ED had no power to lock and seal premises, directed the return of seized documents to Bhaskaran, and restrained the agency from using those materials for further action. Despite this explicit order, the ED went on to issue a summons to Bhaskaran, prompting the court on July 23 to censure the agency for violating its directions. The bench had also permitted Bhaskaran to initiate contempt proceedings if required. Acting on this liberty, Bhaskaran filed the present contempt plea, which has now resulted in the court summoning the ED officer to appear before it in September.
India Today
8 hours ago
- India Today
Rapper Vedan's arrest stalled by Kerala High Court amid sexual assault allegations
The Kerala High Court has prevented the arrest of rapper Vedan, who was accused in a rape case registered by Thrikkakara police on the basis of a complaint by a doctor. The complainant argued that the Chief Minister had received more complaints against Vedan, opposing the anticipatory bail arrest has been put on hold for now as the state police should inform the court whether more cases have been registered against Vedan. Vedan's counsel informed the court that the relationship between the accused and the complainant was consensual. The High Court asked the complainant how a consensual physical relationship could be considered Kerala High Court also observed that it cannot be considered rape every time there is a rift in the relationship. The complainant informed the High Court that there were several MeToo allegations against Vedan. The complainant also claimed that Vedan had apologised on social media at that time. The High Court said that the complainant's claim was based on information received through social media. The court cannot take a decision based on information on social media alone. A decision can only be made by considering the High Court will consider Vedan's anticipatory bail application today in the case registered by the Thrikkakara addition to this, two more women have reportedly filed complaints against rapper Vedan (Hirandas Murali), accusing him of sexual assault. The complaints were sent by e-mail to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. One of the complaints alleged that the assault took place in 2020, while the second incident is said to have taken place in 2021.- EndsMust Watch
Deccan Herald
13 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Supreme Court dismisses plea against quashing FIR in ex-MP Mohan Delkar's suicide case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld Bombay High Court's order of 2022, which quashed a criminal case registered against nine persons, including Dadra Nagar Haveli Union Territory Administrator Praful Khoda Patel, for allegedly abetting the suicide of MP Mohan Delkar in 2021. A bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran dismissed the plea filed by Abhinav Mohan Delkar, son of the deceased, saying the High Court rightly quashed the proceedings, finding the charge of abetment to commit suicide to be absent. "True, a person unable to bear the pressure or withstand a humiliation or unable to oppose, may succumb to the extreme act of ending his own life, in desperation; but that would not necessarily mean that the alleged perpetrator had an intention to lead the victim to eventual death by his own or her own hands," Justice Chandran wrote in the 32-page judgment for the bench. .Supreme Court declines to consider plea by Sanjay Singh against UP govt's decision to 'close' 105 primary court pointed out, even if there is allegation of constant harassment, continued over a long period; to bring in the ingredients of Section 306 read with Section 107 of the IPC, still there has to be a proximate prior act to clearly find that the suicide was the direct consequence of such continuous harassment, the last proximate incident having finally driven the subject to the extreme act of taking one's life. Figuratively, 'the straw that broke the camel's back'; that final event, in a series, that occasioned a larger, sudden impact resulting in the unpredictable act of suicide. "What drove the victim to that extreme act, often depends on individual predilections; but whether it is goaded, definitively and demonstrably, by a particular act of another, is the test to find mens rea. Merely because the victim was continuously harassed and at one point, he or she succumbed to the extreme act of taking his life cannot by itself result in finding a positive instigation constituting abetment. Mens rea cannot be gleaned merely by what goes on in the mind of the victim," the bench said. Delkar, 58, a seven-term MP from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, was found dead in a room at a hotel in Marine Drive in south Mumbai on February 22, 2021. Based on a suicide note, Patel and eight others were booked by the Mumbai police in March 2021 for allegedly abetting the suicide and criminal intimidation of Delkar. "We cannot place any absolute reliance on the suicide note, to ferret out a case of abetment, allegations in which were not disclosed in the written complaint to the Speaker or the statements made before the Committee of Privileges," the bench said. .'Want bravehearts to be in forces': SC asks Centre to explore insurance cover possibilities of cadets disabled, injured in found the suicide note to be suspect, the court said it was not convinced that there is any modicum of material in the case to find abetment of suicide. The FIR was filed on March 9, 2021 by Abhinav Delkar, son of the deceased. It was alleged the MP was not invited to public functions and he faced attempts of extortion and taking over of the trust and the college ran by it. He raised the issue with the Committee of Privileges as well. The bench, however, said, "We cannot find the suicide to be a direct result of the actions complained of." Tragically, the court noted, a life was lost, leaving questions unanswered. "Despite our anxious reading and re-reading, the complaints made, the statements recorded, the suicide note; over which there is a cloud, and the subsequent conduct of the police regarding the delay in registering a crime and the casual statements made in the FIR, persuade us to negate the contention that the allegations levelled were the direct causation of the death," the bench said. Besides Patel, the other accused in the case were - Sandeep Singh, the then District Collector; Sharad Darade, the then Superintendent of Police; Apurva Sharma, the then Deputy Collector; Manasvi Jain, Sub Divisional Officer; Manoj Patel, Police Inspector (Silvassa); Rohit Yadav (DNH administrative department official); political leader Fattesingh Chauhan and Dilip Patel (Talathi of Silvassa). In its judgment, the court emphasised on the test of mens rea, which would depend on the facts of each case. It pointed out, the social status, the community setting, the relationship between the parties and other myriad factors would distinguish one case from another. "However harsh or severe the harassment, unless there is a conscious deliberate intention, mens rea, to drive another person to suicidal death, there cannot be a finding of abetment under Section 306. We have already seen that even a rebuke to 'go, kill yourself'; often a rustic expression against distasteful conduct, cannot by itself be found to have the ingredients to charge an offence of abetment to suicide," the bench said. The bench also noted there is no uniformity in how different individuals respond and react under pressure. "Many stand up, some fight back, a few runaway and certain people crumble and at times take the extreme step of suicide. To put the blame on the pressure imposed and the person responsible for it, at all times, without something more to clearly discern an intention, would not be the proper application of the penal provisions under Section 306," the bench said.
