Aleu Mapiou is charged with allegedly murdering Dusko Culibrk at the Canberra Hospital. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The name of the patient who died in Canberra Hospital’s mental health unit last month, as well as the man accused of murdering him, have been allowed to be released at the same time as the latter was also hit with two extra charges.
Aleu Mapiou, 18, and Dusko Culibrk, 38, were both patients in the Adult Mental Health Unit at the Canberra Hospital in November 2022 and are not believed to have known each other outside of their hospital stay.
Police have previously said that when they arrived at the hospital early in the morning of 13 November, staff were attempting to revive Mr Culibrk and Mr Mapiou had been secured in the unit. However, their efforts were unsuccessful and Mr Culibrk died.
Mr Mapiou, from Bonner, was charged with murder and remanded in custody the next day.
A temporary suppression order was granted at the time, preventing the release of the names of both men involved.
But on Monday (5 December), prosecutor Anthony Williamson SC asked that no further suppression order be made. The previous one was formally revoked by Magistrate Glenn Theakston, allowing their names to be released.
Mr Mapiou appeared over the phone on the day, but a Corrective Services staff member told the court, “Mr Mapiou is saying that he does not want to speak”.
He was then handed two counts of preventing the carrying out of a forensic procedure. These alleged he hindered an authorised person and a police officer when they were taking swabs of his hands and fingernail scrapings on 12-13 November 2022.
Mr Mapiou’s lawyer, Tiffany Wilken of David Healey Solicitors, said her client intended to plead not guilty to his murder charge, but she needed to take instructions on the fresh charges before entering pleas to them.
Magistrate Theakston remanded Mr Mapiou in custody and adjourned the matter to 13 February 2023.
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