A 21-year-old man accused of stabbing a paramedic to death in a McDonald’s car park in south-western Sydney is in hospital with serious mental health issues, his lawyer says.
Jordan Fineanganofo did not appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday morning because he was undergoing a psychiatric assessment after being charged with the murder of 29-year-old paramedic Steven Tougher.
Fineanganofo’s family were not in court during the brief court hearing. His lawyer Javid Faiz did not apply for bail, and it was formally refused.
Fineanganofo is of Tongan heritage.
Speaking after court, Faiz, from Sydney Criminal Law Specialists, said his client had been in psychosis.
“He understands obviously the gravity of the offence, I read the allegations out to him,” he said.
“He has a psychosis issue, he is currently at Long Bay hospital.”
The alleged murder occurred after Tougher and a colleague pulled into the car park on Queen Street in Campbelltown towards the end of their shift just before 5.30am on Friday.
Tougher’s colleague pressed the duress alarm during the alleged attack, alerting emergency services. Tougher was rushed to Liverpool Hospital in an ambulance but later died.
“The surgeons … worked valiantly, albeit futile in this instance, to support our colleague,” NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said.
Tougher – a father whose family have given permission to identify him and publish his image – had been in the job for only about a year and had married his wife, Madison, five weeks before his death.
The pair were due to welcome their second child in a few weeks, according to a GoFundMe page set up by her employer.
The car park where Tougher was killed has become a makeshift memorial. Dozens of bouquets of flowers, a stethoscope and a NSW Ambulance hat have been left at the scene.
Source: Brisbane Times, written by Christopher Harris and Mary Ward
