Brisbane cops issue update on hunt for thug who poured scalding coffee on baby
Baby Luka was at the park with his mum and her pals when the evil brute attacked.
A heartless thug who poured boiling hot coffee over a nine-month old baby boy is still on the run, with cops insisting they are "working hard" to try and find the attacker nearly one year on.
Nine-month-old Luka was with his mum and her pals at a picnic at Hanlon Park in Coorparoo, Brisbane, Australia, when a man, unknown to the group, threw coffee over the infant. The random attack in August last year sparked public outrage and it's believed the attacker, a 33-year-old male, has since fled the country.
Queensland Police Service Acting Commissioner Shane Chelepy issued an update on the investigation on Thursday. He told radio station 4BC that investigations into the 'horrible incident' were ongoing, reports the Mirror.
"This was a horrible incident that happened almost a year ago, it struck our investigators pretty hard," he said. "I give credit to those investigators, they're still working very hard on this, this isn't something we've parked in a corner; this was a very serious offence, and we're working hard on it.
'What I can say is we're still working with our international partners to progress this matter and to get a resolution here. We've got a range of investigative strategies.'
Cops believe the attacker is a 33-year-old Chinese national who left Australia and returned to China via New Zealand shortly after the incident. Acting Commissioner Chelepy said he did not "want to compromise investigative strategies" when he was asked on air if Queensland Police had sent detectives to China.
Baby Luka suffered life-threatening burns to his face, upper body and arm as a result of the attack and, in total, sustained burns to 60 per cent of his body. The suspected attacker was captured on CCTV footage fleeing the scene but, despite those CCTV images being circulated worldwide, the attacker remains at large.
According to Chinese media reports, the man had been in Australia on multiple visas and worked at various sites along the East Coast. Luka had been happily enjoying the trip out and playing with a toy truck before the attack, with images taken afterwards showing the youngster wrapped in bandages and in pain.
Friends at the time said the distraught and frantic mum had yelled "my baby, my baby", describing the incident as a "callous, random attack" on a boy who "does not deserve this pain and suffering". Disturbing footage taken while Luka was in hospital shows him screaming in pain, with medics having wrapped him in cling film to prevent infections from developing.
Luka's mother revealed in November that he has "healed really well", although he is "a bit wary of people' since the incident. Speaking to the Courier Mail she said: 'In those first few weeks, we had no idea what his future was going to look like, especially because the burns were so significant. He's healed really well and baby skin is amazing and the synthetic skin graft that they did worked really well.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
'Trump's latest golden gimmick has finally been exposed - the grift goes on'
The crooked Trump Organisation's latest golden gimmick, the T1 smartphone - billed as a proudly American alternative to Apple's iPhone 17 - isn't quite as stars-and-stripes as advertised. Marketed under the new "Trump Mobile" brand, the gold-plated handset is due to ship in August and proudly claims to be 'Made in the USA.' But eagle-eyed social media sleuths have already called foul, uncovering that the T1 is actually a Chinese-made Android device in a MAGA makeover… and being flogged for three times its price on Amazon. The Trump Mobile network itself has been dubbed an "All-American service," though critics suggest the only thing truly domestic about it is the markup. The Trump grift goes on. A wannabe photographer learned the hard way that breaking into a prison can land you right where you'd expect - behind bars. Cody Mallon, 19, from Argyle, New York, fancied himself a bit of an urban explorer when he crawled through a hole in the fence of the shuttered Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill just after midnight. Once inside, the teen reportedly got a little too into character and managed to lock himself in one of the old cells. Realising freedom wasn't part of the self-guided tour, he had to call for help. State Police and the Glenham Fire Department responded and freed the red-faced inmate-turned-intruder. Mallon was promptly arrested for criminal trespass. Ed the Zebra, who hoofed it out of captivity and trotted into internet stardom, was finally grounded after more than a week on the loose in Tennessee. The stripy fugitive was spotted chilling in a pasture near a local subdivision before being dramatically airlifted by helicopter back to an animal trailer. No frequent flyer miles were earned. A DoorDash driver accidentally turned Chicago O'Hare into his own personal delivery route after driving miles through the airport's restricted roads on Saturday. Airport police say the confused courier wandered along taxiways and secure areas before being spotted by someone in the control tower. Authorities confirmed it was all a mistake, but admitted the driver may have crossed actual runways. No word on whether the food was on time. Things got a little too fraught at a Charlotte commission meeting when protesters released live crickets during a debate on gun violence awareness. The unexpected insect invasion forced a recess while crews rounded up the chirping culprits. 'Disturb the meeting, and you'll be escorted out - or charged,' warned Chair Mark Jerrell.
Evening Standard
8 hours ago
- Evening Standard
Florian Wirtz, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Matheus Cunha: Every major deal of summer transfer window so far
Chinese PhD student jailed for life after being exposed as serial rapist who filmed attacks as trophies PhD student jailed for life after being exposed as serial rapist
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
GP who posed as nurse to kill mum's partner with poisoned jab cut off by family
Once-respected GP Thomas Kwan was jailed for 31 years and five months in November after admitting attempted murder, he is unable to apply for parole for 20 years. A once-respected doctor who tried to kill his mum's partner while disguised as a nurse has been cut off by his own family, it has been revealed. Thomas Kwan has been ostracised by his own family after trying to kill his mum's partner with a poison 'Covid jab' while disguised as a nurse. The once respected doctor disguised himself in a wooly hat, tinted glasses and surgical mask to administer a fake Covid jab to his mum's partner. In reality, it contained the highly toxic iodomethane, a fumigant pesticide. Thomas Kwan was jailed for 31 years and five months in November after admitting attempted murder. "His relationship with his brothers and sisters has been severed for years," said a source close to the case. "His mother has disowned him." Kwan is also facing potential legal action to confiscate his near £1m NHS pension, which will devastate his finances. Only his Chinese-born wife is still standing by him. His victim Patrick O'Hara, 72, still suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to his horrific ordeal on January 22 last year, Newcastle crown court heard. On that day, Kwan travelled from his £500,000 property in Ingleby Barwick, to his mum Jenny Leung's home. Kwan's mother had taken £1m out of a joint back account before she divorced Kwan's late father, who died around 30 years ago, aged 60, while Kwan was studying at Newcastle University. Kwan considered that he had not been fairly treated with his father's will as he did not receive the greatest share of his estate, which he felt was 'his right'. His mother had updated her will to allow Patrick to live in her home in St Thomas St, Newcastle in the event of her death, delaying Kwan's inheritance, with Kwan plotting to kill Patrick to get his hands on his mum's inheritence. Kwan arranged an appointment in advance using fake NHS letterheads to give Patrick a 'Covid jab', which was actually laced with poison. It was later revealed that Kwan experimented with a series of noxious substances, including ingredients to make ricin, in his garage after the row over his mum's will. The court had heard Kwan became "obsessed" with ricin, arsenic, cyanide, and nerve agents. He had "10 poisons used to kill people" among guides found after the attack. He told how Kwan sent Mr O'Hara two bogus NHS letters from a "community nurse" called Raj Patel, one of Kwan's former colleagues, and even produced a fake ID in a wig, moustache, specs and goatee beard. There, he injected Patrick with the lethan concoction, with Patrick later asking his GP about the jab after the injection site became inflamed. He was sent home with antibiotics, but his condition worsened and he was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis, a life-threatening flesh-eating disease. Patrick was kept in intensive care and had to have skin on his left arm and shoulder removed due to the flesh eating bug. Five days after the attack, Patrick received another NHS-style letter detailing the results of his blood tests before the jab was given, the jury heard. A package meant for Patrick was then intercepted by police containing over-the-counter iron supplements which the prosecution say had been sent by the defendant. Detectives also interviewed him just days after the attack. Patrick became suspicious after Jenny made a comment about the nurse being "about the same height" as her son. Sentencing Kwan to 31 years and five months behind bars, Mrs Justice Lambert tol Kwan: "Your intention of visiting the home was to administer a lethal injection of poison to Mr O'Hara on the pretence of administering a Covid booster. It was an audacious plan to murder a man in plain sight and you very nearly succeeded in your objection. "You were in the home of Mr O'Hara for 40 minutes and for some part of that your mother was also present and you took her blood pressure. Extraordinary though it seems, so trusting were they that neither recognised you under your disguise." Justice Lambert said financial gain was the motive behind the attempted killing and added: "You were certainly obsessed by money and more particularly by money which you considered yourself to be entitled. I have no doubt that the reason why you tried to kill Mr O'Hara was for financial gain. "You knew your mother had left the house to her children but you also knew she had changed her will to give Mr O'Hara a life interest in the house. By killing him you removed the obstacle which lay between you and your recovery of your share of the property following your mother's death." Patrick has separated from Kwan's mother, Jenny, after the ordeal, with Jenny now having disowned her son. After he was jailed in November, Kwan's wife told the Mirror that she did not believe that her husband intended to kill. She added: "In his heart he is very, very good. I don't blame him. I love him, trust him, and will be here for him until the end." Kwan is currenty serving his sentence and will be unable to apply for parole for 20 years.
