By Adam Cooper
Tuesday January 5, 2021
Police say Mohamed Hassan died after being stabbed in North Melbourne on Saturday.
A man has faced court charged with murdering a counsellor who came to visit him at a North Melbourne unit and with seriously injuring a friend.
Police allege Luqman Abdishakur Ahmed stabbed Mohamed Hassan once in the upper body with a kitchen knife on Saturday and then chased a friend who was at the unit in a residential tower in Sutton Street.
The friend suffered serious lacerations to his left hand when he grabbed the knife and Mr Abdishakur Ahmed allegedly pulled it out of the man's grasp, according to documents released by Melbourne Magistrates Court.Mr Abdishakur Ahmed, 30, appeared before court on Monday charged with murder and intentionally causing serious injury. Wearing a grey T-shirt and a face mask, he appeared via a video link from custody and spoke briefly with an interpreter to confirm he could hear what was being said.
Mr Hassan and four other leaders from Melbourne's Somali community went to the unit on Saturday morning to see the accused man to provide support because he has mental health problems, a police summary says.
Mr Abdishakur Ahmed allegedly took a kitchen knife and stabbed Mr Hassan and then chased his friend.
Ambulance paramedics treated Mr Hassan in the unit but he died in hospital.
Members of the police Critical Incident Response Team arrested Mr Abdishakur Ahmed at the unit.
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani remanded Mr Abdishakur Ahmed, from the northern suburb of Dallas, in custody to next appear before court in April.
Defence lawyer Glenn Cooper said Mr Abdishakur Ahmed had been seen by a nurse while in custody.
Farah Warsame, another leader of Melbourne's Somali community, said Mr Hassan was highly regarded for helping others as a community worker and through fundraising for the less fortunate.
"He was a really good guy. The community was very shocked when we heard it," Mr Warsame said.
"He was a good man. Spiritually, he was a very good person."