Overview
- A 25‑year‑old South Yarra man was found with serious injuries behind the Courthouse Hotel in Footscray and died at the scene following a Sunday night incident.
- Victoria Police arrested a 37‑year‑old Williamstown man without incident at Yarraville Railway Station on Monday evening and charged him with murder.
- The accused, identified in reporting as Zac Swettenham, appeared via video in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and was remanded because the court cannot hear bail for murder charges; his next scheduled return date is October 13.
- Defence lawyers told the court the accused identifies as Aboriginal and has diagnoses including psychosis, schizophrenia and akathisia, and that he had not yet been seen by a nurse in custody.
- Police say detectives believe the victim and accused were known to each other and are not seeking other suspects, and media coverage notes the accused is the son of former Australian boxing champion Barry Michael which provides local public interest context.