In brief
Victoria Police charged a 51‑year‑old north‑west Melbourne resident with murder and intent‑to‑cause‑serious‑injury after he killed a 47‑year‑old Chinese delivery rider and seriously wounded a second rider. A vigil attracted hundreds on Saturday, and government officials urged swift justice and stronger protection for gig‑economy workers.
A 51‑year‑old man from Melbourne’s inner‑west has been charged with murder and serious injury after stabbing a Chinese delivery rider to death in the city’s CBD, Victoria Police said Monday.
Police said the fatal encounter occurred on Friday night when the victim, a 47‑year‑old Chinese national, and a 34‑year‑old fellow rider observed a third man allegedly tampering with their bikes. The third man then clashed with the pair, resulting in the fatal stabbing of Feng Jianming and serious injuries to the second rider, who was taken to hospital.
The homicide squad arrested the suspect from Footscray after an investigation and formally charged him with one count of murder and one count of intentionally causing serious injury. The charges were announced in a police statement released on Monday.
Hundreds of people joined a vigil in central Melbourne on Saturday to mourn the two riders. The protest underscored community demand for safer working conditions for delivery workers.
Chinese Consul‑General Fang Xinwen called Victoria Premier Ben Carroll on Saturday, urging a fair and lawful investigation and “severe punishment” for the perpetrator. Carroll replied, pledging the state to send a strong signal that such crimes would not be tolerated and promising just... (truncated for length).
