'They were doing the wrong thing but didn't deserve to die': Aunt of man killed in the Townsville floods while looting a liquor store reveals vile trolls have been abusing him online
- Aunt of one of the two men killed in Townsville flood has defended her nephew
- Selena Morton said Hughie Morton and Troy Mathieson 'didn't deserve to die'
- The men were killed in the floods while looting a store and evading police
- Trolls have lashed out at the men with some suggesting 'they deserved to die'
The grief-stricken aunt of one of the two men killed in the Townsville floods while looting a liquor store, has defended her nephew stating 'he didn't deserve to die'.
Selena Morton, the aunt of Hughie Morton, 21, said since her nephew's death the shattered family have been subjected to online abuse from trolls who claim the two men deserved to die in the floods.
Mr Morton and Troy Mathieson, 23, are believed to have died after they robbed a bottle shop and then jumped into the floodwaters in an attempt to evade police on Monday.
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Selena Morton, the aunt of Hughie Morton (pictured), 21, said since her nephew's death the shattered family have been subjected to online abuse
The two men were killed in the Townsville floods, while looting a local liquor store (Pictured: The bodies found in the open drain)
Ms Morton said in the wake of the incident the family have also faced a slur of racist remarks from online commentators.
And while she understood why locals would be angered by her nephew's and Mr Mathieson's crime, she noted some comments went too far.
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'The people saying that stuff should have thought about our feelings,' Ms Morton told The Townsville Bulletin.
'I understand he's done something wrong but he didn't deserve to die,' she added.
Hughie Morton (left), 21, and Troy Mathieson (right), 23, were last seen near floodwaters on Monday morning,
Police (pictured) found the bodies of Mr Morton and Mr Mathieson in an open drain on Tuesday
Officers responding to a call that a bottle shop was being robbed at 3am on Monday were the last people to see the men alive.
Police had contacted their families with concerns for their safety after the men went missing.
Ms Morton said she had desperately hoped her nephew, who she helped raise, would be found alive.
But the bodies were confirmed to be that of her nephew and Mr Mathieson on Tuesday.
Mr Mathieson and Mr Morton both live on Palm Island, an offshore area with heavily restricted alcohol laws.
Townsville (pictured) has been hammered by more than one metre of rain in a week for the first time on record
Ms Morton said that although Mr Morton was involved in crime it was mostly 'minor' incidents and added he'd had a 'tough life' but had a 'good heart'.
Townsville has been hammered by more than one metre of rain in a week, breaking previous records.
Residents were subjected to scenes of total chaos, with thousands of homes, car parks and shopping centres almost totally submerged and huge crocodiles roaming city streets.
Hundreds of people are believed to be holed up in Townsville evacuation centres as authorities race to find emergency accommodation for families whose homes were destroyed by floods.
Hundreds of people are believed to be holed up in Townsville (pictured) evacuation centres as authorities race to find emergency accommodation
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