The distraught uncle of a surfer who was stabbed to death minutes after emerging from the waves in a regional New South Wales town has spoken of the family’s grief and anger.
Ralph also made the shocking revelation that the 22-year-old’s mother worked at the same hospital her son was taken to and where he died.
He called for changes to the law to address the growing number of knife crime incidents.
Still dressed in his wetsuit, the surfer was found with significant injuries next to his car near the Coffs Harbor Surf Life Saving Club about 6.40am on Thursday.
Paramedics treated him at the scene before taking him to hospital, where he later died.
His uncle, speaking with Ben Fordham on 2GB, said that in ‘the cycle of life, the people you love pass by. “Sometimes it’s old age, sometimes it’s a terrible accident and for our family right now it’s just murder.”
A young man has been rushed to hospital after an incident in Coffs Harbor (pictured)
Fighting back tears, Ralph said his “first emotion is just anger.”
“Obviously I am angry with this attacker. But I’m (also) angry at the politicians.’
He called on the New South Wales government to introduce a version of Jack’s Law, which was introduced in Queensland after 17-year-old Jack Beasley died during a fight with two other teenagers outside a convenience store in Surfers Paradise. .
“Variant” laws allow police to use portable metal detectors in public places to discover hidden knives.
‘How long will we have to wait here in New South Wales? This will save lives. Why do they sleep at the wheel? “They are our sons and daughters,” Ralph said.
‘I hope all the listeners and people of New South Wales are angry. He had just come back from surfing (and was) stabbed eight times.
‘What the hell is going on? Give the police these powers and save lives. Do your work.’
On Friday, Coffs Harbor detectives continued their search for the attacker, for whom no description has been released.
Avenues of investigation include whether the surfer encountered someone breaking into his car and whether a confrontation in a second area of the beach on Thursday morning was related to the homicide.
“We have identified some items of interest at a camp near the jetty area,” Chief Inspector Guy Flaherty told reporters.
“This area may or may not be related, but at this time we have declared a crime scene.”
Ralph paid tribute to his “charming young” nephew.
A crime scene was established on Ocean Parade with SES personnel also present.
‘More than anything, he just had a heart of gold, he really did. (He had) a kind and affectionate character, (she was) his greatest asset. We’re just devastated.’
Two weeks ago, NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was considering adopting Jack’s Law in NSW after a series of high-profile knife attacks shocked Sydney.
Police, emergency services and transport unions backed the change and denounced the “appalling incidence of youth knife crime”.
But the Civil Liberties Council warned of a knee-jerk response to “violent and distressing, but isolated” incidents and feared police would disproportionately search marginalized communities.
