Son charged with murder after father, 84, killed in Bethungra assault

A MAN accused of beating his elderly parents during a violent home invasion in the Junee Shire has had his charges upgraded to murder, after his 84-year-old father succumbed to his injuries and died in hospital.

Ross Moran Dallow, 51, appeared via video link from Junee Correctional Centre in Wagga Wagga Local Court on Tuesday afternoon, charged over the alleged assault in the quiet village of Bethungra on Saturday, August 2.

Police allege Dallow forced his way into his parents home on White Street and launched a vicious attack on his 84-year-old father, leaving him with life-threatening injuries, before fleeing the scene.

Dallow’s 82-year-old mother also sustained minor physical injuries during the assault.

The elderly couple were treated by paramedics at the scene before being transported to Wagga Base Hospital, where the elderly man remained in a critical condition for four days.

Tragically, police confirmed he succumbed to his injuries and passed away in hospital on Tuesday night, August 5.

His 82-year-old wife has been discharged from hospital.

The crime has sent shockwaves through Bethungra and the wider Junee community, with those who knew the elderly couple describing them as “beautiful, caring and kind-hearted”.

“This is sickening and unheard of in a tiny little village like Bethungra,” one person said.

Dallow was arrested by detectives in Bethungra about 90 minutes after the attack was reported to police on Saturday.

He was taken to Wagga Wagga Police Station where he was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault — both domestic violence-related offences.

After being refused bail by police and again by Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday, Dallow’s case was mentioned before Wagga Wagga Local Court for the first time on Tuesday.

According to The Daily Advertiser, Dallow was represented by a Legal Aid solicitor who made no application for bail, with Magistrate Tony Murray formally refusing it.

The 51-year-old man was subsequently charged with murder on Wednesday, August 6. He remains in custody and is due to reappear court in October.

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