Cancer survivor stabbed to death by stepson in Melbourne

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 07:32 · Archive

Tony Di Falco, 61, was stabbed to death by his stepson Mehmet Bertan in his Hillside home on 4 October 2024.

Tony Di Falco, 61, was stabbed to death by his stepson Mehmet Bertan inside his Hillside home in Melbourne's northwest on 4 October 2024. Bertan, 34, has maintained a guilty plea to manslaughter and opted not to pursue a mental impairment defence, despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Di Falco's brother Nick described him in Victorian Supreme Court as a 'beloved brother, devoted father, a church member and heart of our family gatherings'. He said Di Falco deserved 'peace and joy' after having 'fought and survived cancer and was looking to rebuild his life'. Nick Di Falco added that 'what makes this tragedy more painful was his final moments (were spent feeling) fear and confusion' and that 'he suffered at the hands of someone he should've been able to trust'.

Six weeks before the killing, Bertan experienced a psychotic episode in which he falsely believed his family home would be robbed. Prosecutor Cara Foot said he went to a service station, doused himself in petrol and planned to set himself alight to 'distract' the supposed thieves. Psychiatrist Rajan Darjee told the court he did not believe Bertan recovered from that episode and remained psychotic and unwell throughout the period. On the morning of the attack, Bertan arrived by taxi with a knife in a bag.

How it is being reported

• Cancer survivor killed by stepson a 'devoted father'A beloved man and heart of the family's gatherings has been remembered after being stabbed inside his own home by a man in the grip of psychosis.Perth Now · 15 Oct, 07:06
• Cancer survivor killed by stepson a 'devoted father'A beloved man and heart of the family's gatherings has been remembered after being stabbed inside his own home by a man in the grip of psychosis.The West Australian · 15 Oct, 07:06

In this story: Tony Di Falco · Mehmet Bertan · Hillside · Melbourne · Victorian Supreme Court

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