Two women have been formally charged following an investigation into a tragic incident at a service station where a customer died after reportedly being attacked with scalding coffee. The accused, Andrea Madigan and Sarah Franklin, both aged 52 at the time, were initially scheduled to appear in court last year over the event that occurred on February 8 at a 7-Eleven in Caulfield, located in Melbourne’s south-east.
Initially, the charges against the two women involved reckless conduct resulting in serious injury. However, as reported by Daily Mail Australia, these charges were set aside and concluded in May last year, with the possibility of being escalated by Victoria Police to more severe charges of manslaughter.
New developments have now emerged, revealing that detectives from the Homicide Squad have proceeded to charge Madigan and Franklin with assault. Although a court date has yet to be determined, this marks a significant step in the ongoing legal process.
A woman who allegedly had coffee poured over her and was assaulted at this 7-Eleven service station in Caulfield (pictured) later died in hospital
During the investigation, both women were allowed to remain at liberty while forensic experts painstakingly analyzed the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death. This forensic examination concluded in February, providing crucial insights more than a year after the unfortunate incident occurred.
Both had remained free in the community while forensic experts worked to figure out just how their alleged victim died.
The forensic investigation was finalised in February – more than a year after the woman died.
The alleged offenders have been summonsed to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court in June.
A police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia an autopsy was unable to determine the woman’s cause of death.
Madigan and Franklin had faced potential manslaughter charges had there been sufficient evidence to suggest the woman died as a result of the alleged attack.
The woman had been taken to hospital with life threatening injuries where she died six days later.
Detectives from Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit initially charged the two Caulfield women with assault before handing it over to the Homicide Squad when the victim died.
The victim, whose identity remains unknown, had allegedly been attacked in full view of CCTV cameras within the service station.
Forensic officers are seen at the service station after the woman was allegedly assaulted
Coffee was allegedly poured on a woman who later died in hospital (stock image)
A police source said the victim’s body had been riddled with serious health complications, which more than likely caused her death.
Daily Mail Australia was told the victim had become abusive moments before she was allegedly doused in hot coffee and assaulted by Madigan and Franklin.
‘She was being racist,’ a source told Daily Mail Australia at the time.
Shop owners along Hawthorn Rd, where the 7-Eleven is positioned, claimed all three of the Caulfield women were well known to each other.
One witness described the ‘assault’ alleged against Madigan and Franklin as more like a ‘scuffle’.
Both of the alleged offenders had a clean criminal history until the deadly scuffle.
They were charged by Victoria Police detectives that night and released on bail from the watch house despite the victim’s status being listed as critical.
Two women have since been charged over the alleged attack (pictured, police at the scene)
Those that claimed to know both of the accused described them as being ‘kind and courteous’.
‘They’re nice. They’re polite. We see them all the time. They behave, they have nice manners,’ one woman said.
Others expressed dismay at suggestions the alleged fight might have been sparked by racial slurs.
Caulfield is known for its large Jewish community, representing about half of Melbourne’s Jewish population.
‘I don’t think it (the alleged offence) had any connection to race or culture,’ a local shopkeeper said.
Recklessly causing serious injury charges in Victoria carry a maximum jail sentence of 15 years compared to 20 years for manslaughter.
Witnesses have told police a woman poured coffee over the victim and assaulted her before fleeing the scene on Hawthorn Road.
