Shock at WA academics' violent deaths

Dr Del Weston, 62, and Professor Gavin Mooney, 69, were found dead early yesterday at their remote Hobart home. Source: PerthNow

TRAGEDY: A Police officer at the scene of a double homicide at Mountain River, 20km south-west of Hobart. Source: The Mercury

A West Australian man has been charged with killing a retired couple in a remote part of southern Tasmania.

TRAGEDY: Police attend a double homicide at Mountain River, 20km south-west of Hobart. Source: The Mercury

THE nation's leading health economist and his academic partner are dead after being bludgeoned to death at their idyllic Mountain River property on Wednesday night.

Retired Perth academics Professor Gavin Mooney, 69, and Dr Del Weston, 62, were both found dead with severe blunt force trauma to the head in the lounge room of their secluded Bennetts Road home after their alleged killer rang triple 0.

The 27-year-old charged with the double murder is Dr Weston's son from a previous relationship.

Nicolau Francisco Soares did not enter a plea when he appeared in the Hobart Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon and was remanded in custody.

All three family members are previously from Western Australia, with Prof Mooney and Dr Weston moving to Tasmania to enjoy semi-retirement in September last year.

Their alleged killer arrived in the state three weeks ago for a "fresh start'' according to sources and had been staying at their home.

It is the second double murder in the state's south in four days and the third this year, after a Hamilton couple was shot dead on Sunday and a man and woman were stabbed to death in Launceston in August.

Police say this was a particularly gruesome crime with the hammer and sledgehammer used to inflict the fatal wounds found next to the bodies.

The alleged killer was waiting in another room when police arrived in the early hours of yesterday morning.

"The only person who really knows what occurred in that house now is the man we have in custody,'' Detective Inspector Peter Powell alleged.

"There was some sign in the room of a disturbance, some furniture overturned.

"But as to who was attacked first or how the altercation commenced, we don't know.''

He said there was no obvious motive at this stage.

"We hope to discover it as we go through the investigation,'' he said.

Police say they found no evidence the son was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time or any serious mental health conditions had been previously diagnosed.

"Certainly we would like to know more about his movements,'' Det Insp Powell said.

"The area where they lived is a remote area and there are no houses close to the location but obviously we're making inquiries in the area to see what people know of this couple and this young man.

"We've been doorknocking down there this morning and making inquiries in the Kingston area too.

Although police asked neighbours not to comment publicly yesterday, it was apparent those living close to the murdered couple were deeply shocked by the horror crime in their peaceful rural street.

The silence was broken only by the sound of police vehicles arriving at the misty scene yesterday morning, with forensics officers visible up the long driveway standing on the porch.

Det Insp Powell said it was a terrible thing to have two double murders within days of each other and both allegedly committed by people known to the victims.

"I think it's really unfortunate timing and we all understand that sometimes in domestic situations, and coming up to Christmas, often families do have issues and stresses on them that sometimes result in these tragedies,'' he said.

The man believed to be responsible for the Hamilton shootings remains in a medically-induced coma in the Royal Hobart Hospital after shooting himself in the head on Sunday.

WA couple looking for the good life

Professor Gavin Mooney moved to Tasmania from Western Australia looking for the good life in September 2011 and was in no doubt he had found it.

The nation's leading health economist and his partner, academic Dr Del Weston, were both captivated by the beauty and tranquility of the expansive home they bought in the hamlet of Mountain River, about 30 minutes drive south of Hobart.

The broad deck of their home looks out on the rugged peaks across the scattered homes of the rural residential area and the steep timbered ridges rising up to Collins Bonnet.

The couple had big plans, both were keen to become involved in social justice issues, as they has been in WA where Mr Mooney had helped found the WA Social Justice Network.

They wanted to expand their vegetable garden and their small flock of chickens and enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle of a tree-changer's semi-retirement.

Professor Mooney, an passionate and energetic advocate for those less well off, regularly contributed the benefit of his long experience in the field of health economic to The Mercury's coverage of health issues.

In August he launched the Social Determinants of Health Advocacy Network and was involved in facilitating "Citizens' Juries'' as a more democratic way for people to participate in setting priorities for the heath systems.

Dr Weston did her PhD on the political economy of global warming at Curtin University in Western Australia.

She had been a a visiting Scholar at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, South Africa and an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Tasmania in the School of Geography and Environmental Science.

Tony Reidy from TasCoss said Professor Mooney had been a driving force behind the organisation's submission to the state government this year.

"We're really quite devastated. Gavin Mooney was making an enormous contribution to social justice in Tasmania,'' he said.

"He was a real leader in his field. His death is an enormous tragedy for the state.

"He was one of the leaders in our campaign for the government and the community to invest in the social determinants of health.

"It's a tragic development when we see a man like Gavin, with an impeccable background and credentials, come to an end so tragically.

"His contribution and presence will be sorely missed.''

Miriam Herzfeld set up the Social Determinants of Health Advocacy Network with Professor Mooney this year.

She said he and Dr Weston were passionate, caring and giving people who had worked to make a contribution from the moment they arrived in their new home.

"He was absolutely passionate about creating a more equal society and giving everybody the opportunity to lead a healthy and good quality life,'' she said.

"Gavin and Del had been in Tasmania for a short period of time but they'd made an enormous impact.

"He took every opportunity he could to say something about improving health outcomes, and that included mental health outcomes. They both were extremely giving as people.''

Before moving to Tasmania Professor Mooney had been Director of the Social and Public Health Economics Research Group and Professor of Health Economics at Curtin University in Perth.

Starting his career as a trainee actuary in Edinburgh, Scotland, Mr Mooney worked as a health economist for over 35 years, first in the UK, then Denmark and Perth.

In June 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Degree in Social Sciences by the University of Cape Town as one of the founding fathers of health economics. - David Killick

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Shock at WA academics' violent deaths

Dengan url

http://duniasikasik.blogspot.com/2012/12/shock-at-wa-academics-violent-deaths.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Shock at WA academics' violent deaths

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Shock at WA academics' violent deaths

sebagai sumbernya