Two brothers have been charged with murder after a man allegedly assaulted near a Melbourne primary school died from his injuries, with the pair’s earlier assault charges upgraded following the victim’s death.
Liam Robert Harnett, 22, and Connor Edmund Harnett, 21, appeared separately via video link in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where they were each charged with the murder of 63-year-old Andre Szep.
Sequence of Events
The alleged assault occurred on the afternoon of June 12 at Strathaird Reserve in Narre Warren South, just metres from Strathaird Primary School, shortly before students were due to be dismissed for the day.
Police allege the two brothers assaulted Andre Szep at the reserve. Investigators believe the people involved were known to one another and that the incident was not random.Several parents and children witnessed the alleged attack or its aftermath as they arrived to collect students from the nearby school.
One father said he immediately shielded his son from the scene, saying he did not want the child to witness what had happened.
Emergency services rushed Mr. Szep, from Clyde North, to hospital in a critical condition. Despite medical treatment, the 63-year-old died from his injuries on June 18, six days after the alleged assault.
Following his death, police upgraded the brothers’ original charges of recklessly causing serious injury to murder.
Court Hearing
During Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutors withdrew several earlier charges, including recklessly causing serious injury, intentionally causing injury, assault-related offences, possessing a dangerous article and affray, leaving the murder charges before the court.
The prosecution requested 12 weeks to prepare the case, telling the court investigators are still awaiting post-mortem findings and completing DNA analysis, forensic examinations, CCTV review and body-worn camera evidence.
The court ordered police to complete disclosure of CCTV footage, DNA material and other forensic evidence by the end of September.
Both Liam Harnett, of Narre Warren South, and Connor Harnett, of Frankston, remain in custody.
The matter has been adjourned until November 11, 2026, when the case will return to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a further filing hearing.
The investigation into the fatal assault remains ongoing.
