Crime scene declared after 50-year-old man dies from injuries in Brisbane's West End
Police say emergency services were called to a unit complex on Ryan Street in West End around 4:30am on Saturday after receiving reports of a man being found unconscious at his home.
They say the man, who has yet to be formally identified, was found unresponsive and alone inside a unit with critical injuries.
He was later declared deceased at the scene, and the death is being treated as "suspicious", police say.
Speaking to the media on Saturday afternoon, Detective Inspector Wayne Francis said first responders had made "valiant efforts" to save him.
"It was a very traumatic scene, especially for the first responders ... the police and ambulance [officers] who attended," he said.
"I think they did a tremendous job trying to save his life under those conditions."
Detective Inspector Francis was unable to provide any further details about the man's injuries.
He said police were aware there had been "some occupants" at the unit last night and they were working to identify and speak to all of them.
A crime scene has been declared at the unit, although police say there is no ongoing concern to other members of the community in the area.
Detective Inspector Francis said it was understood to have been a "targeted" incident, with those involved known to each other.
However, he said the "exact nature of the association" was still being determined.
Detective Inspector Francis said police anticipate the investigation into the incident will take a number of days, which included the formal identification process.
He said police are working "tirelessly" on the case and are urging any witnesses who were in the vicinity of the Ryan Street unit complex "at anytime overnight" to come forward.
West End resident Liam Taylor said disturbances in the area were common, although it was mostly relaxed.
But apart from those, Mr Taylor said the area was "pretty relaxed".
He said he'd been "disturbed" to learn someone had died so close to his home.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
16 minutes ago
- ABC News
Queensland DNA lab at 'point of critical failure' with victims of crime waiting years for testing, report finds
Victims of serious crimes like rape and murder are waiting well over a year for vital DNA evidence in Queensland when it should take just 10 days, a damning new report has revealed. An investigation into Queensland's beleaguered forensics lab has found it is at a "point of critical failure", leading to years-long delays in the justice system. It follows two commissions of inquiry into Forensic Science Queensland (FSQ), which found evidence may have been compromised for criminal trials dating back to 2007 and potentially led to miscarriages of justice. The report, led by Dr Kirsty Wright, found serious issues persisted despite those inquiries. "Victims are waiting over a year for the rape kits to be tested. In other jurisdictions, that's taking five to 10 days, so you can see the chasm in the service that we need to rebuild." More than 13,000 samples still need to be retested, which is expected to take two years to complete. Cases in the magistrates' court relying on DNA evidence are being delayed by up to three years, the report found. Recommendations from the first inquiry saw changes to the DNA testing method, but the report found this had been done incorrectly, noting a "poor quality culture". "We've found systemic contamination. We've found shortcuts are being taken. We've found that the accreditation standards aren't being adhered to as well," Dr Wright said. "Test methods are being used that haven't been properly tested. So we need to go back and examine that further to see how many cases in the last two-and-a-half years might have been compromised." Dr Wright found testing was being done in a "dirty lab", resulting in environmental contamination on a weekly basis. "There was evidence of this for at least a year, a year and a half." The second six-week inquiry was launched in 2023, after lobbying from Dr Wright and the family of stabbed Mackay woman Shandee Blackburn, where DNA evidence was central to the case. In a letter, Ms Blackburn's mother Vicki and sister Shannah said their trauma had been compounded following the revelations exposed in each inquiry. "We hope no-one endures losing a beloved family member in the way we have. However, that is not a reality," they said. An anonymous victim-survivor noted in a letter to the review that there had been no progress in the result from a rape kit she submitted in April 2024, and no information as to when it might be processed. "The uncertainty — not knowing when or if justice will be done — prevents survivors from healing and moving forward," they said. The report outlined the tangible impact of DNA processing delays on the courts. On one occasion, a case went to trial without DNA evidence despite the prosecution pleading its relevance. In another, an alleged murderer, who was "considered a risk of reoffending", was released on bail due to delays in samples. The government has appointed former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller to head a new expert team to overhaul operations at the lab. "I think it's disastrous. I'm not lost in terms of the challenges, but to be clear, I'm not here to do another review. I'm here to drive the recommendations," Mr Fuller said. The review made 26 recommendations, which Dr Wright said would provide a "comprehensive blueprint" for change. "This report isn't a box of Band-Aids. My team and I have looked thoroughly into what needs to be changed within the laboratory," she said. "But also from the system, across the policing system and the DPP, how can the lab better serve the courts and the police?" Former director of the facility, Dr Linzi Wilson-Wilde, resigned last month following "contamination issues" being identified. Dr Wright said she wasn't interested in the role and would continue assisting victims in other ways. Premier David Crisafulli was pressed on whether anyone would be held responsible for failings at the lab.
ABC News
16 minutes ago
- ABC News
Missing pilot didn't make contact during Bass Strait flight, search authority says
The pilot who flew a small private plane from George Town on Saturday with his partner and dog on board made no contact with authorities before disappearing, officials say. Concerns were raised about 5pm on Saturday when the plane, with the man in his 70s and woman in her 60s on board, failed to arrive in Central Western NSW. The aircraft was headed to Hillston Airport, west of Condobolin, via Leongatha. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is coordinating a search in Bass Strait and northern Tasmania with police for the couple and their plane. In a statement, AMSA said the search was ongoing throughout the day on Sunday until "last light" and resumed at 8am on Monday. George Town-based flight instructor Eugene Reid said flights across Bass Strait were required to make contact with air authorities. "You have to do scheduled reporting," he said. "On leaving the coast, they should have called up air services." An AMSA spokesperson said the pilot had made no contact with authorities, but it was not clear if the plane disappeared before such contact was required. AMSA is urging anyone in George Town or travelling Bass Strait to "keep a sharp lookout for any signs of a light aircraft or its occupants, and if safe to do so, render assistance". It said four aircraft, including AMSA's Challenger jet, the Tasmania Police helicopter and two planes, as well as water craft, were involved in the search today and were focusing on an area in Bass Strait and northern Tasmania. Neither they, nor Tasmania Police, have yet released details about the make and model of the plane, or the identities of the couple on board. At a press conference on Sunday, Tasmania Police's Nicholas Clark said the experienced pilot was flying a "bright green" plane he purchased "three to four months ago". Mr Reid said it was not a legal requirement for small planes to have automatic satellite tracking devices installed. "You can take off in an aircraft and fly across Bass Strait, making your radio calls and the only thing you have to carry is an EPIRB [emergency beacon] like they have on a boat," Mr Reid said. "[That] sets off an emergency signal to a satellite if anything goes wrong. He also said the George Town Airport does not necessarily have a record of the pilot's plans. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has been approached for further comment about the legal requirements of pilots of private planes. Anyone with information is urged to contact the AMSA response Centre on 02 6279 5700.
ABC News
16 minutes ago
- ABC News
Toddler spent close to an hour in suitcase in bus luggage hold, wearing only a diaper
A New Zealand woman was arrested after travelling on a bus with a two-year-old girl trapped in her luggage. The toddler was found alive in the suitcase on Sunday afternoon, local time, by a driver of an InterCity bus from Whangārei to Auckland. A 27-year-old woman was due to appear in the North Shore District Court on Monday charged with ill treatment of a child. The child had been in the suitcase for nearly an hour wearing only a nappy, Radio New Zealand reported. Police were called after a passenger asked for access to the luggage compartment during a planned stop in Kaiwaka, Northland. Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said the driver became concerned when he noticed the bag moving. "When the driver opened the suitcase, they discovered the two-year-old girl," he said. Mr Harrison said the little girl was reported to be "very hot", but otherwise unharmed. She was taken to hospital in a "minor" condition for an extensive medical assessment. "We would like to acknowledge and commend the bus driver, who noticed something wasn't right and took immediate action, preventing what could have been a far worse outcome," Mr Harrison said. "Police inquiries into this incident are ongoing and further charges cannot be ruled out. Oranga Tamariki has also been notified." An InterCity spokesperson said the company was aware of an incident involving a passenger on one of its services earlier on Sunday. "Police were called to respond, and they are now investigating the matter. "No-one was harmed during the incident and the service has resumed. As this is now an active police investigation, we are unable to comment further." Locals in Kaiwaka said they were shocked and saddened to hear what happened to the toddler. Kristel Faber, who worked in the Kaiwaka Cheese Shop, said the incident was "bizarre". "Just the thought of someone having that idea, putting a toddler in a suitcase … How can people think about doing that …" Another local woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said the situation was very sad. "I was deeply saddened to hear such a thing. I mean who does that, puts their child in a suitcase, and the suitcase is locked away with the other luggage?" She said knowing the toddler was alive and physically unharmed was a relief. "I can't fathom how the bag was put in the bottom of the bus and not identified that there was movement in there at the time," she said. This story was originally published by Radio New Zealand.
