Woman fights for life, three others injured after Melbourne stabbing spree

A heavily armed man accused of carrying out a horror stabbing spree on Melbourne’s streets over the weekend has refused to appear in court.

A heavily armed man accused of carrying out a horror stabbing spree on Melbourne streets has refused to appear in court.

Christopher Raftopoulos, 31, from Melton, has been named as the man charged over the violent weekend rampage which left four – possibly five – complete strangers injured.

The Herald Sun has been told police pursued Raftopoulos, who is accused of carrying a bag of weapons, in real time on CCTV as they desperately tried to find him.

A woman and four men were wounded in a burst of violence in Southbank, King St, St Kilda East and St Kilda on Saturday night.

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday heard Raftopoulos was refusing to speak to anyone and would not leave the cells to front court.

His lawyer Michael Amad told the court the man had a mental health history.

Magistrate Rose Falla asked that further attempts were made by Forensicare to see Raftopoulos to gauge his current mental state.

“He may or may not be suffering from a psychotic episode and be psychologically unwell,” she said.

“We need Forensicare to speak to him today”.

Forensicare specialise in the assessment, treatment and risk management of people with a mental disorder who are currently undergoing legal or court proceedings.

The court heard the alleged serial stabber appeared to be experiencing a “catatonic, schizophrenic episode” and was not responding to anyone, including his lawyer and psychiatric staff.

“He is refusing to engage in the court process, Forensicare has reported that he presents (as if experiencing) a catatonic, schizophrenic episode and they have been unable to assess him for risk to himself or others,” Ms Falla said.

Raftopoulos was remanded in custody to appear in court on Friday.

There was a major police response in the city after the stabbing spree began. Picture: Channel 9

Police allege Raftopoulos, who wore a distinctive lime-green top, moved from attack to attack in a three-hour period.

Police say he has a criminal record and are investigating whether he started his violent spree at 9.20pm on Saturday with an attack on a 28-year-old Glen Waverly man in Southbank.

The rampage was Melbourne’s second outbreak of random knife violence within days.

Last Wednesday, Spiros Filidis died at Hampton East in what police said was an unprovoked street attack.

A man has been charged with the murder of Mr Filidis, who had been walking to a bus stop to catch a ride to Southland shopping centre.

A woman is fighting for life after she was stabbed while walking along Dandenong Rd in St Kilda East. Picture: Nine

Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Eyries said none of Saturday night’s victims were known to their attacker.

A man and a woman were then attacked on Dandenong Rd in St Kilda East just before 11pm. The woman, a 31-year-old from St Kilda East, was slashed multiple times and taken to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition.

Her condition had improved to serious but stable by Sunday evening, the Herald Sun understands.

A 31-year-old Glen Waverley man believed to be her partner was taken to hospital with a serious arm injury.

In a fourth incident, a 31-year-old English man was stabbed in the leg on Acland St, St Kilda, about 12.30am and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Sergeant Eyries said a Melton man was arrested near South Yarra station about 1.15am after he was seen on a train wearing his “very distinctive” lime green jacket.

He has been charged with 14 assault-related charges, including two counts of intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, two count of recklessly causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, five counts of intentionally causing injury, and five counts of recklessly causing injury.

He has also been charged with one count of possessing a controlled weapon.