'A loyal, genuine guy': Family and friends mourn death of Maryborough man
A man found dead in a quiet street in a small country town in central Victoria was a 'loyal and genuine guy' who loved to catch up with friends at the local pub and will be remembered as the kind of person who 'would help anyone'.
Two teenage boys have been charged with murder of 45-year-old John Bourke.
Mr Bourke's body was discovered at a property on Derby Road in Maryborough, north-west of Melbourne, at 12.30pm on Sunday.
His death was deemed suspicious several hours later.
Homicide squad detectives have since charged a 15-year-old and 17-year-old with murder in relation to Mr Bourke's death.
''John was a very much loved son brother, uncle and friend. He enjoyed catching up with his mates at the pub and would help anyone. He was loyal caring and a genuine guy,'' a friend said in a statement on behalf of his family.
Some neighbours said John kept to himself and rarely had any visitors.
He was often seen travelling up and down Derby Road on a mobility scooter, and neighbours said he had a disability.
"He didn't have many visitors, he's quite a quiet bloke. We knew him to wave," one woman said.
Others said the street was mainly home to elderly residents and retirees, with only one young family known to live there.
One friend described him as ''a harmless, defenseless little man with a huge heart and personality''.
''I affectionately called him 'Dickie Knee' we had a lot of laughs over drinks at our local,'' she said. ''Park Hotel will never be the same.
''He will be missed greatly.''
Both of the teenagers who have been charged are from Maryborough, and have been remanded to appear at a Children’s Court at a later date.
Neighbour David Bucknall, who lives across the road, said there had been a party on the street on Saturday night.
"It's a nice area of the town and it just came as a huge surprise to me ... It was an old house, but in reasonable order, the garden seemed to be kept and the grass was cut."
He said there was a rowdy, noisy party at another property on Derby Road on Saturday.
He was unaware a body had been found until police began to block off the road to traffic on Sunday afternoon.
"There was a noisy party going on opposite me [on Saturday night], and I was unaware of anything until the next day," he said.
"Police, from my point of view, were doing a very, very thorough job, they shut off the road from both ends."
On Monday morning, police had cordoned off the area around the property, including the houses on either side. One lane of traffic also remained blocked off.
The single-story weatherboard home appeared well-kept, with a red ute parked in the backyard.
The porch light was on and the front door remained wide open on Monday, with all the curtains in the house drawn.
Other shocked neighbours on Sunday told the Bendigo Advertiser said it was normally a quiet, suburban street.
“It’s a quiet part of town, a nice quiet neighbourhood,” one resident said.
- With the Bendigo Advertiser