A 62-year-old man of Greek background walked up to an acquaintance on a street in Sydney’s inner west and killed him by stabbing him multiple times in the torso, police have alleged.
According to The Australian, the alleged daylight attack in Marrickville prompted a major police operation that ended with the arrest of the Greek man in nearby Dulwich Hill on Friday afternoon.
Fatal turn of events:
Emergency services were told at midday on Friday that a man had been stabbed on Marrickville Rd.
Local police officers rushed to the scene and found a 55-year-old who had wounds to his upper body. The officers tried to revive him and were joined by paramedics, but the man’s life could not be saved.
“He had a total of 25 minutes worth of resuscitation before we became aware that the patient would not survive his injuries,” Duty Operations Manager, Inspector Giles Buchanan, told 7 News.
Police began an intensive investigation which led them to a location on Denison Road in Dulwich Hill, where tactical operations officers and negotiators managed to arrest the alleged attacker.
The man was taken to hospital under police guard, where he was treated for injuries that were not sustained in either the alleged incident or during the arrest, police said.
The victim:
According to a GoFundMe launched by Sam Gravanis, the 55-year-old stabbing victim was a man named Sofoklis, who was battling cancer and has left behind an 8-year-old daughter and his elderly mother, Niki.
“This news has devastated his family,” the GoFundMe states.
“We’ve set this gofundme to help raise funds to assist with Thea Niki and her 8-year-old granddaughter. These funds will go towards funeral expenses as well as ongoing support for the family. Thank you for any support you’re able to extend.”
Inner West Police Commander, Sam Crisafulli, told The Australian that the two men were known to each other but not related.
They were both known to police but had no links to organised or serious crime.
“The exact motive for this (alleged) murder is still under investigation. I don’t want to speculate why or what happened,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“It’s not what you would expect in the middle of a suburban area at all. And I suppose I just want to take this opportunity to reassure the community that it is safe in Marrickville.”
