Follow-Up: Suspect in Melbourne Rider Feng Jianming Murder Case Makes First Court Appearance: Video Link Cut After Erratic Behaviour, Next Hearing Set for April 26

MELBOURNE — Roberto Urbano, 51, the man charged with murdering Chinese food delivery rider Feng Jianming, made his first court appearance by video link in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, the Australian Associated Press reported on November 9. He is charged with one count of murder and one count of intentionally causing serious injury. Police allege that on the night of November 6, Feng, 47, and another rider, 34, confronted Urbano after spotting him tampering with their bikes in Melbourne's city centre, and that Urbano stabbed both men; Feng died at the scene, and the second rider suffered serious injuries and remains in hospital.

Appearing from a police custody cell, Urbano repeatedly interrupted the hearing, calling out "Objection, your Honour!" before saying, "I'm the one who was injured." After the link was muted he continued to speak and gesture with both hands and stood up to walk around the cell multiple times. He then stood on the chair and pulled down his pants, exposing himself to the courtroom, before the link was cut.

Urbano's lawyer confirmed in court that his client experiences schizophrenia and asked for the custody nurse to assess him. The magistrate granted a prosecution application to compel Urbano to have an injury to his right arm photographed and his DNA taken by mouth swab. Investigators were granted extra time to build their case, as several witnesses require translators and more than 30 CCTV cameras holding hundreds of hours of footage must be canvassed. Urbano did not apply for bail and will return to court on April 26.

On the day of the hearing, Victoria Police and Melbourne civic leaders said near the crime scene that the community would be kept safe. City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece said a highly visible police presence would flood the central city between now and the end of the year, noting that the crime rate in the central city had dropped 5.9 per cent in the last 12 months but that a shocking incident like Friday night's meant more had to be done. Assistant Commissioner Jo Stafford said the doubling of police resources under Operation Harmony, announced in October, would continue to target anti-social behaviour in the city centre. The Salvation Army's Brendan Nottle called for a grown-up conversation about a deepening mental health crisis.

Community support also moved: a GoFundMe fundraiser set up by the Melbourne Chinatown Business Association for Feng's family had raised more than A$450,000 by Monday afternoon, up from the nearly A$390,000 reported earlier on Monday, to help with emergency travel, funeral expenses and ongoing support. HungryPanda, the platform Feng worked for, said it was assisting the family with visa arrangements, funeral expenses, financial support and insurance. The Transport Workers Union has questioned whether the company properly assessed and controlled risks to its workers.

Feng, originally from China's Shaanxi Province, had been in Australia for about nine years, working as a delivery rider to support his wife, their two children and four parents back home.

Related: Follow-Up: 51-Year-Old Suspect Charged With Murder in Melbourne Rider Feng Jianming Case; Community Fundraiser Nears A$390,000

(Source: Australian Associated Press)

Source: Australian Associated Press

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：澳大利亚墨尔本 Carnegie 的 Koornang Road 华人商圈街景（资料图）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Philip Mallis 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0 授权。 / Photo: A Chinese shopping strip on Koornang Road in Carnegie, Melbourne, Australia (file photo). Photo by Philip Mallis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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