Police are expected to lay more serious charges against a former immigration detainee after a man died following an alleged violent assault in Melbourne.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Nicholson and Paisley Streets in Footscray at around 10am last Sunday after reports of an assault.
Dominic O’Brien, 62, was found with critical injuries and rushed to hospital, where his condition deteriorated over the week.
He died in hospital on Saturday morning.
The 62-year-old was a photographer who had previously worked in the media, according to The Age, which was one of the outlets that employed him.
Police arrested 43-year-old Lominja Friday Yokoju on the same day as the incident, charging him with intentionally causing serious injury.
Victoria Police said investigators will consider alternative charges following the results of a post-mortem.
He has been remanded and will appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on October 20.
Dominic O’Brien (pictured) died in hospital on Saturday morning days after an alleged attack
Lominja Friday Yokoju was one of the men released from immigration detainment in 2023
Mr Yokoju is accused of approaching Mr O’Brien, speaking to him briefly, before allegedly hitting him and stamping on his head while he was on the ground.
The 43-year-old is believed to have been among more than 200 people released from immigration detention in late 2023 after the landmark High Court decision in NZYQ v Minister for Immigration.
116 of the men released were violent offenders, including convicted murderers.
The ruling found indefinite immigration detention was unlawful where there was no realistic prospect of deportation.
At the time of his arrest, Mr Yokoju was reportedly living on a bridging visa and had no fixed address.
Mr Yokoju is due to appear for a committal hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on October 20.
