NSW: Police to investigate Italian over death of homeless man

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2006
NSW: Police to investigate Italian over death of homeless man

By Lisa Allan

SYDNEY, Aug 18 AAP - A coroner has ruled there is enough evidence against an Italian
national to charge him over the death of a "harmless", alcoholic homeless man found burning
in Sydney's west.

But the Italian man still is in Italy, where local police have advised against approaching
him because he is also a suspect in a murder investigation there.

The NSW Coroners Court was told today police were "100 per cent" sure Guiseppe Lo Medico
is the man seen in video footage taken at Bankstown Railway Station, near where Aldo Flaiban's
burning body was found on May 17, 2003.

Mr Flaiban, 59, was bashed with a paving stone and set on fire in the early hours of
the morning, in the Bankstown arcade where he had been squatting.

The CCTV footage shows a person, who police believe to be Lo Medico, carrying a paving
stone into the arcade and talking to Mr Flaiban shortly before his death, Detective Senior
Constable Simon Peddle said.

Police believe Lo Medico stole Mr Flaiban's wallet and made several unsuccessful attempts
to access his bank account.

"I think he had trouble getting money," Det Peddle said.

The man is believed to have returned to Mr Flaiban, who kept moving away, before bashing
him, Det Peddle said.

"I think perhaps it's an afterthought to go back and set fire to the body," he said.

The victim's blood was found later on the paver and on Lo Medico's jeans, which police
obtained later.

Lo Medico, who had been staying at the nearby Oasis Hotel, had told witnesses he was
desperate for money because he wanted to go to Italy as soon as possible, Det Peddle said.

He left the country the day after the killing and, later in 2003, police traced him
to a home in Italy.

But Italian police said Lo Medico "is a suspect in a murder investigation over there
and to not approach him", Det Peddle said.

There are prospects for Lo Medico's extradition to Australia, Det Peddle said.

State Coroner John Abernethy said it was odd Lo Medico had chosen to steal from a homeless
man, who "wouldn't have had a lot of money".

He said he was satisfied there was a reasonable prospect a jury would convict Lo Medico
of the murder and referred the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Outside the court today, Mr Flaiban's brother, Ron, said he hoped Lo Medico would be
brought back to Australia.

"I hope he gets extradited ... I hope he gets life," he said.

Mr Flaiban said his brother was an alcoholic who suffered from schizophrenia, but was
"harmless" and "never hurt anybody".

If charges are laid, police will seek to extradite Lo Medico from Italy.

AAP lma/hn/pe/sd

KEYWORD: FLAIBAN NIGHTLEAD

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