A violent assault case in Melbourne’s southeast has taken a tragic turn, with charges against two brothers accused of attacking their estranged stepfather upgraded to murder following the victim’s death from his injuries.
The victim, 63-year-old Andre Szep from Clyde North, was allegedly ambushed and brutally attacked by his stepsons 21-year-old Connor Harnett and 22-year-old Liam Harnett shortly after 3 p.m. on June 12. The shocking incident unfolded in the open area outside Strathaird Primary School, located in Narre Warren South, a busy suburban neighborhood near a local education campus.
Immediately after the attack, emergency responders rushed Szep to a nearby hospital with life-threatening severe injuries. Despite medical intervention, the 63-year-old succumbed to his wounds six days after the assault.
Prior to his death, the two brothers had already been taken into police custody. Connor Harnett, who lists no fixed address, was charged on June 15, while Liam Harnett, a resident of Narre Warren South, was charged two days earlier on June 13. Both were initially charged with the offense of recklessly causing serious injury.
In an official statement released to the public on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Victoria Police confirmed that the initial charges have now been formally upgraded to murder following Szep’s passing. “Those charges have today been upgraded to murder,” the spokesperson confirmed in the statement.
The two accused are scheduled to make their next court appearance at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where the murder charges will be formally laid before the court. The community surrounding Narre Warren South has been left shaken by the violent incident, which occurred near a local primary school frequented by families and young children.