Peter Dutton breaks down on air in interview over one-punch death

Peter Dutton wept as a man whose son died in a one-punch attack thanked him for deporting the killer’s accomplice | VIDEO

A father whose 18-year-old son was killed in a cowardly one-punch attack has broken down while thanking Immigration Minister Peter Dutton for deporting the killer’s accomplice.

Cole Miller died in January 2016, after he was attacked by New Zealand citizen Daniel Jermaine Lee Maxwell, then 21, and another man, Armstrong Renata, on a night out in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

The Queensland Supreme Court found that although Renata had thrown the single punch which caused Mr Miller to fall and fatally hit his head on the pavement, Maxwell had instigated the unprovoked attack.

Maxwell was originally charged with unlawful striking causing death, but that charge was downgraded to two counts of common assault and one count of affray.

The downgrading of the charge meant Maxwell initially walked free, after his 18-month sentence was suspended because he had already served 19 months when it was handed down.

Under new laws introduced by Mr Dutton, any foreign citizen sentenced to more than 12 months’ jail is automatically eligible for deportation.

Cole Miller.

Cole Miller’s father Steve today rang radio station 2GB to express his gratitude to Mr Dutton, who personally took his dismayed phone call the day Maxwell walked free.

“On that day at about 2pm I was advised by a journalist that he walked free, this criminal, and so I got onto Peter Dutton’s office in Canberra,” Mr Miller said.

“He was unavailable, he was in parliament at the time, but he rang me back at 4.30pm.

“I advised him of the circumstances, he got onto the Queensland police and the Border Force immediately, and that illegal immigrant was taken back into custody by 6.30pm that night and held for deportation to New Zealand, and I just want to thank Peter for that.”

Mr Miller became emotional as he thanked the minister.

“He didn’t know me from a bar of soap, and the guy’s a champion,” he said.

“He’s out there looking after Australians and the Australian way of life and trying to help protect Australians.

“I hadn’t thanked him before, but I just wanted him to know that we were grateful for his immediate action and help on that day.”

Emotion was also apparent in Mr Dutton’s voice as he responded to Mr Miller’s call.

“It’s an emotional thing, it really is,” Mr Dutton said. “Thanks to Steve, I’m so sorry to his family.”