Man dies after alleged Footscray assault, as police consider upgrading charges

A Melbourne man has died days after an alleged assault involving a former high court detainee, prompting police to review charges.

Police will consider alternate charges against a former high court immigration detainee, after the victim of an alleged assault in Melbourne’s inner west died in hospital.

Dominic O’Brien, 62, died on Saturday morning, almost a week after he was allegedly attacked at the intersection of Nicholson and Paisley streets in Footscray on the morning of June 15.

Police arrested 43-year-old man Lominja Friday Yokoju on the same day as the alleged assault and initially charged him with intentionally causing serious injury.

He is accused of approaching Mr O’Brien, engaging in a brief conversation, then striking him and stomping on his head as he lay on the ground.

Mr Yokoju was a member of the NZYQ cohort who were released from detention following a High Court ruling. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

In light of Mr O’Brien’s death, police are expected to review the charges.

“Investigators will consider alternate charges following the results of a post-mortem,” Victoria police said in a statement.

Mr Yokoju was part of a group of more than 200 immigration detainees, known as the NZYQ cohort, who were released from long-term detention after the High Court ruled their ongoing detention was unconstitutional where there was no reasonable prospect of removing them to another country.

At the time of his arrest, Mr Yokoju was understood to be on a bridging visa.

Mr Yokoju will front Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a committal hearing on October 20.

Originally published as Man dies after alleged Footscray assault, as police consider upgrading charges