The family of a young Irishman who fell to his death trying to escape a trio of armed men in Australia have asked for candles to be lit for their "hero".
Cian English, 19, originally from Carlow town but who was living with his family in Hawthorne in Brisbane's eastern suburbs, suffered traumatic injuries when he fell from a balcony at the View Pacific resort in Surfers Paradise at about 3.15am last Saturday.
Three men have been charged with his murder, along with two charges of armed robbery and two counts of deprivation of liberty, on the Gold Coast about 74km away from Brisbane.
Jason Ryan Knowles, 22, Hayden Paul Kratzmann, 20, and Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas, 18, have been remanded in custody and were not required to appear in court on Monday. Their cases have been adjourned for mention on August 4th. The three were remanded in custody.
In a statement issued on behalf of the teenager’s family by Brisbane police, the family said they are “deeply” appreciative of all the support they have received.
The statement said: “Join us in lighting a candle on Thursday night in loving memory of our hero Cian and feel free to share your messages of support and love. Our family are deeply touched by the outpouring of support and the many kind messages from friends and family around the world,”
"Our sincere thanks also go to the Queensland Police Service for their tireless efforts and everyone who has respected our family's wish for privacy at this difficult time.
“With current restrictions in place many people have not been able to travel to pay their respects to Cian, so we invite people to light a candle this Thursday night in memory of our hero Cian, so we can all be stronger together.”
Hashtags
The family has asked those who light a candle to share their tribute online using the hashtags #candleforcian #bestrongertogether.
Mr English's parents Vinnie and Siobhan, who both are originally from Carlow town and his older brother Dylan, 26, are being comforted by friends and family members. The family left Ireland 15 years ago, first to the Caribbean where Cian's father worked for Digicel, and then settled in Brisbane in 2011.
A postmortem examination has been carried out on Mr English’s body. Once his remains are released by the police authorities, a funeral for Mr English can be organised.
The trio, who allegedly used drugs together, are believed to have invited Mr English and a friend to an apartment in the same accommodation block they were staying in.
The party turned sour and the three accused men threatened Mr English and a male friend at knife point wanting phones, clothing and footwear.
Police have said a girl who tagged along with accused men is believed to have filmed the alleged assault and authorities are investigating if the alleged murder is linked to break-ins at Gold Coast chemists.