A 29-year-old Malaysian Chinese male pharmacist employed in Melbourne, Australia, was killed by a man believed to be suffering from schizophrenia.
According to Australian media reports, the deceased was Leong Kum Chuan, who failed to show up for work on Wednesday (23rd). Concerned colleagues visited his home around 11:30 am and discovered he had been stabbed to death.
A 54-year-old homeless man was arrested in connection with the case and charged with murder the following day.
The suspect, Simon Hunter, appeared in court via video link from the police station holding room. During the hearing, he was incoherent and even undressed in front of the judge. Lawyer Kaweela informed the court that his client suffers from schizophrenia and had not taken his medication for two weeks.
Hunter has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on January 16th.
Leong Kum Chuan was employed by the Eastern Health medical institution since 2021. The company's CEO, Blanco, expressed regret over his passing, describing Leong as talented, with leadership qualities, and who actively guided new pharmacists.
Leong's family flew from Malaysia to Melbourne on the 24th but did not attend the court hearing.
According to ‘Today Sydney’, Leong moved from Malaysia to Australia in 2015 to study for a Bachelor of Pharmacy at Monash University. Three months ago, he received a Master’s degree in Clinical Pharmacy from the same university, where he also served as a teaching assistant.