Toowoomba alleged assault victim identified as 75-year-old photographer Robert Brown

There are grave fears for a Toowoomba man who suffered injuries police deemed ‘not survivable’ in a vicious alleged assault while the city becomes the centre for the latest political battle over youth crime.

There are grave fears for a Toowoomba man who suffered injuries police deemed “not survivable” in a vicious alleged assault while the city becomes the centre for the latest political battle over youth crime.

Robert Brown, 75, a beloved photographer, was waiting at a taxi rank at Grand Central Shopping Centre on Monday when he was pushed to the ground from behind and his backpack stolen, police allege.

Mr Brown suffered serious head and neck injuries, with police saying his injuries were “not survivable”.

Keen photographer, Robert Brown enjoys capturing the action at the off-road remote control racing group first meeting for 2018 at the Toowoomba Showgrounds. January 2018

Police claim the alleged offenders climbed into a stolen car with the backpack and fled the scene.

Four teens aged 15-18 have been charged with offences including grievous bodily harm, robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and burglary over the incident.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said Toowoomba was “in the grip of a crime epidemic”, and said the tragedy had rocked the city.

“Any Queenslander looks at that situation and expresses all the best for his friends and family,” he said.

“No one deserves to have what happened to Robert waiting for a cab, no one deserves to see scenes like that in a state where people have the right to go about their business and not have to live in fear.”

Mr Crisafulli said the “watering down” of Queensland’s youth justice laws in 2015 had led to a “generation of repeat young offenders”.

“They are wreaking havoc on the state and it’s got to stop,” he said. “There is a generation that has seen the result of a system that doesn’t have consequences for action and they are ripping communities apart.

“They are costing Queenslanders their lives and they are costing Queenslanders the feeling of safety.”

Asked about the youth crime crisis on Thursday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said youth justice was a “very complex issue”.

“Unfortunately there are children who come from broken homes, there are children who have been impacted by foetal alcohol syndrome, so there is a lot of work going into early intervention – I want to assure the community of that,” she said.

“Eight hundred million we are investing and a lot of those programs are working, especially when dealing with that 90 per cent.

“What these laws that we’ll be taking to the Queensland parliament are about is the 10 per cent. We really want to make sure that our efforts and our focus is on targeting that 10 per cent, those serious repeat offenders.”

Police at the scene of the alleged assault of Robert Brown outside Grand Central. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Asked about the opposition’s urging to see the new youth justice legislation before parliament returns later this month, Ms Palaszczuk said: “Are they going to support it or not? It’s pretty clear what we’re doing, it’s in black and white.

“They (the LNP) have no alternative, they have no plans. They are lazy and they need to do the work.

“They’ll see it when it goes into parliament – we have announced though what we are doing.”

In paying tribute to Mr Brown, Photographic Society of Queensland vice-president Tryg Helander said he was a “longstanding” and “stalwart” member of the Toowoomba Photographic Society.

“Robert was a unique storytelling photographer that captured many events and notable happenings around the region,” he said.

“Of note were his many prints of the growth of Grand Central, his happy hunting ground, ironically.

“Robert had an infectious smile that you could feel in your heart; his enthusiasm for photography too was inspiring.

“Recently gifted a new camera by members of TPS, I am sure Robert was out shooting when this (incident) occurred. Photography was his deepest passion.

“We will collectively miss your humble nature, your creativity and that wonderful smile.”

Originally published as Toowoomba alleged assault victim identified as 75-year-old photographer Robert Brown