A 74-year-old man who was battling lung cancer has died after allegedly being thrown from the balcony of his unit complex in Brisbane’s south.
Raymond Binge, 49, has been charged with the murder of Michael Thomas Chesworth – affectionately known as “Skip” – after he allegedly picked the older man up and threw him over the balcony of his unit complex where he fell 3.5 metres and collided with the concrete below head-first.
Queensland Police allege a disagreement broke out not long after Mr Chesworth answered the door to Mr Binge on Sunday afternoon. Mr Binge was not a resident of the unit complex but had been “aggressively seeking items” from units before knocking on Mr Chesworth’s door.
Mr Chesworth was rushed to hospital and into surgery but died late on Sunday.
Tracy Clancy lived in the same unit complex and said Mr Chesworth was a “quiet” and “well-liked” neighbour who had allegedly been undergoing treatment for lung cancer for some months.
He said the unit block had about 50 residents, and “most of the people here have medical issues”.
“It’s a pretty sad story, really […] He was just coming good and then this happens,” Mr Clancy told ABC News.
Police arrested Mr Binge shortly after the incident at a nearby unit and have charged him with one count of murder.
Queensland Police’s Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said Mr Binge and Mr Chesworth weren’t known to each other, describing the alleged attack as “unprovoked, callous and heartless.”
“At that time, the deceased man was present with his partner enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon,” he told the media at a press conference on Monday.
“We allege that he answered the door, and within a very short period of time there was a disagreement between the two men.”
Mr Chesworth’s widow and fellow neighbours are “devastated” by the event and are receiving support from the police.
Superintendent Massingham appealed to all residents to contact police, even if they were not present at the time of the incident, as police continued interviewing residents of the unit complex as part of the investigation.
Mr Binge briefly fronted Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, where his case was adjourned to October 16.
