Bourke st victim to be farewelled 20170125 p5v5zx.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Advertisement
Advertisement
This was published 9 years ago

Bourke St victim brought pride, joy

AAP

Powered by

Hundreds of people attended Thalia's school. (9NEWS)  

Thalia Hakin brought "light" to everyone she met in the brief 10 years before she died on Melbourne's Bourke Street.

An emotional funeral service for "the little Jewish princess" on Wednesday was told she was a loving older sister to Maggie, 9.

Advertisement

"From the day she was born until the day she died, that girl gave me pride and gave me joy," her father Tony Hakin told the crowd.

Thalia was one of five people killed when a man allegedly drove deliberately into lunchtime crowds in the heart of Australia's second largest city last Friday.

Maggie called her father to say her leg was broken and people were helping her mother Nathalie after the car hit them.

"Thalia copped the full brunt of it," he said.

"I think she fairly much died instantly, I don't think she would have known much about it."

Mr Hakin said his wife wanted to be at the funeral but had only awoken in hospital early Wednesday morning.

"(She said Thalia) was a little butterfly, that she was the light of her life," he said.

Three-month old baby Zachary Bryant was the first victim farewelled at a service on Tuesday, with his parents describing him as the most beautiful, loving, happy and perfect little baby.

Advertisement

Matthew Si, 33, Sydneysider Jess Mudie, 22, and an unnamed Japanese national, 25, also died in the attack.

It's understood Mr Si's family will be holding a private funeral.

Eighteen people remain in hospital, two of them listed as critical.

James Gargasoulas, 26, was charged with five counts of murder on Monday and is likely to face more charges as police continue investigating.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The accused man had been bailed just five days earlier.

The volunteer justice who permitted his release has stepped down from the roster and is understood to be deeply distressed.

Victoria on Monday announced bail justices would be dumped for serious matters and a new night court set up with on-call magistrates to deal with bail applications.

Victoria Police also defended its pursuit policy after criticism officers failed to stop the accused man despite numerous opportunities but the police union wants a change to allow more leeway to halt offenders in cars.

Advertisement

More than $1 million has been raised for victims through the official Bourke Street fund and other crowdfunding sites.

Gargasoulas' case is due to return to court in August.

email icon

Contact us

Share a tip-off, video or photo with us

Most viewed in VIC

More to explore