No charges over Vic fatal winery stabbing

A different legal system for immigrant workers?

January 28, 2008, SMH:

A Malaysian man who went on the run after a triple stabbing in Victoria's north in which a man in his 20s died has been questioned by police and released without charge.

One man, named by police late Monday as Eng Chew Han, died and two were airlifted to hospital in Melbourne after a fight broke out among workers at the Cheshunt winery ...
Immigration row thought to have sparked winery death, ABC News:
Police say three people stabbed on the weekend at a winery near Wangaratta, in north-east Victoria, had attacked another man with iron bars ...

Detective Senior Sergeant Charlie Bezzina says the man told police he acted in self-defence.

"What we've gleaned from the crime scene, what we've gleaned from the other persons present, it was clear to us that it appears to us to be a self-defence issue," he said.

"The people that have been stabbed, the deceased and the other two appear to be the aggressors in this situation and he was in the process of defending himself."

The Immigration Department is reviewing the visas of 10 people who were involved in the stabbing.

Police have questioned 13 immigrant farm workers who live at the winery, but have not laid any charges.

Senior Sergeant Bezzina says they believe the 58-year-old man stabbed the three men in self-defence when a violent argument started.

"There was some suggestion it was over a visa, but there are other issues that come into it which I won't go into, but it was initially over visas and the assistance of the immigration people came to our aid and subsequently all bar three have now been taken into the immigration's custody and they're reviewing their visa situation," he said.
Fatal winery fight linked to work row, the Age:
A BRAWL in which one man was stabbed to death at a winery in north-east Victoria on Saturday night could have been the result of a dispute between legal and illegal foreign workers.

Twelve Asian men and women were questioned by homicide squad detectives ...

Mr Simian said he had been told by police the dispute might have resulted from tension between workers with visas and those working illegally.

"The police have informed me that they think it was some of the Asians that had visas against some of the illegals who were muscling in on their work."
A white man kills someone in self defence and you can bet he will face charges of manslaughter. A touch of post-Haneef wisdom? Charge an immigrant worker, and suffer the mass hysteria media circus scrutinising your every move? "No charges, son, on your way".

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