A food delivery rider’s alleged murderer has pulled down his pants and exposed himself as he appeared in court.
Roberto Urbano, 51, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link on Nov. 9 after being charged with murder and intentionally causing serious injury.
Feng Jianming, 47, and another rider confronted Urbano after spotting him tampering with their bikes in Melbourne’s city centre on Nov. 6, police allege.
After a fight broke out, Urbano allegedly stabbed both riders, with Feng dying at the scene.
The second rider, 34, suffered serious injuries and remains in hospital on Nov. 9.
Appearing from a police custody cell, Urbano called out, “Objection, your Honour!” before saying, “I’m the one who was injured”.
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The video link was muted but he continued to speak and gesture with both hands and stood up to walk around the cell multiple times.
He then stood on the chair and pulled down his pants exposing himself to the courtroom before the link was cut.
The magistrate granted the prosecution’s application to compel Urbano to have his injury to his right arm be photographed and his DNA extracted with a mouth swab.
His lawyer confirmed his client experiences schizophrenia and asked for the custody nurse to assess him.
Investigators were granted extra time to build their case because of multiple witnesses requiring translators and more than 30 CCTV cameras needing to be canvassed, containing hundreds of hours of footage.
The incident has sparked an outpouring of support from the community and other delivery riders, including those who knew him.
Local food delivery rider Brandon, who did not provide his surname, plans to accept fewer jobs at night after learning the news.
“I definitely feel more worried when I’m out delivering food, particularly when riding alone at night or passing through areas where I feel unsafe,” he said in an interview with the Melbourne Chinatown Business Association, which translated it from Chinese for AAP.
Feng, originally from China’s Shaanxi Province, had been in Australia for about nine years to support his wife Xu, their four parents and two children at home.
Mourners have left floral tributes and handwritten notes near the state library, dedicated to his memory.
Some cards on the flowers expressed sympathy for Feng’s family, while others included statements such as “City of criminal”, “Safe street for every person” and “Asian lives matter.”
A GoFundMe fundraiser set up by the Melbourne Chinatown Business Association had raised almost $390,000 (US$269,000) by Nov. 9 to help Feng’s family with emergency travel and funeral expenses.
Feng’s death weighed heavily on his colleagues and gig worker communities in China, Japan and Korea, association head Christina Zhao said.
Brandon is demanding delivery platforms better protect their workers, including by not penalising them for abandoning orders when they feel unsafe.
“Nobody should have to lose their life just to earn a living,” he said.
Food delivery company HungryPanda said it was assisting the family with visa arrangements, funeral expenses, financial support and insurance.
The Transport Workers Union has questioned whether the company properly assessed and controlled risks to their workers.
Urbano will return to court on April 26.
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By William Ton and Nick Wilson in Melbourne
