Australia: Ex-labor strategist Tim Picton dies after assault
Tim Picton, a former strategist for the Australian Labor Party, has died after spending more than three weeks in critical condition in hospital following an alleged assault outside a Perth nightclub, News.Az reports, citing Australian media.
Picton, 36, played a key role in WA Labor's landslide victory in the 2021 state election and most recently served as director of strategy for mining company Mineral Resources.
He is the brother of South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton.
A 20-year-old, Brodie Jake Dewar, has been charged with grievous bodily harm over the December incident.
Mr Picton's family released a statement on Monday morning confirming his death.
They described him as a "deeply devoted father and loving husband, son, grandson, brother and uncle".
"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Tim, who passed away earlier today surrounded by his family," the family's statement said.
"His kindness, generosity and humour brought joy to our lives.
"Tim — we love you, we miss you and we will always carry your memory with us."
The family said they appreciated the support shown by friends and colleagues across Australia.
"We will be forever proud of Tim's many extraordinary achievements and capacity for love, while knowing that he still had so much to give," the statement said.
Mr Picton was the father of four-year-old Charlotte, whom his family described as "the love of his life".
"It breaks our hearts to know that Charlotte will grow up without her father by her side, but she will always know how deeply he loved her," the family said.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said Mr Picton was "highly respected across the Labor movement nationally", and had served the federal, South Australian and Victorian Labor Government "with distinction".
Mr Picton was found unresponsive in Perth's entertainment district of Northbridge about 5:30am on Saturday, December 27.
Police had received reports of a disturbance outside a licensed premises.
Mr Picton was taken to hospital, where he remained in a coma until his death earlier today.
His alleged attacker, Mr Dewar, was charged with grievous bodily harm but is now expected to face an upgraded charge.
At an earlier court hearing, his lawyer claimed Mr Picton was making unwanted advances on his cousin and Mr Dewar had struck him instinctively because he thought Mr Picton was about to attack him.
Mr Dewar was granted bail, but was taken back into custody last week after being charged over a separate assault, which was described by a magistrate as a "coward punch".
The court heard the 20-year-old had allegedly knocked the man unconscious in Kalamunda, in the Perth Hills, days earlier on Christmas Day, and posted about it on social media.
In the video, shown in court, Mr Dewar is heard saying "don't hit on my younger sister next time brother. Keep snoring".
The prosecutor told the court the video exemplified a "pattern of behaviour", while the magistrate said he was unsure if Mr Dewar would have been granted bail if the court had been aware of the Kalamunda incident.
The prosecution also showed another video in court of a third incident where Mr Dewar appeared to punch another man, which police are investigating.
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