The man charged with allegedly driving a van filled with gas canisters into the head office of the Australian Christian Lobby in Canberra last December, has died.
The lawyer for the 36-year-old Canberran has confirmed in a statement that Jason Duong had passed away on Sunday by suicide.
Duong had been struggling with mental illness for most of his life, with the December 21st incident, in which he allegedly rammed the front of the ACL headquarters, considered by his defence team as primarily motivated by suicidal tendencies.
His lawyer Peter Woodhouse says in his released statement:
It is worth noting that the expert retained by the defence believed Mr Duong was suffering from a mental impairment at the time of the alleged offence and he would have most probably been found not guilty in all of the circumstances. Anyone who is struggling to cope with their own problems is encouraged to reach out for assistance.
Police confirmed back in December the incident was “not politically, religiously or ideologically motivated”, despite then claims by ACL Managing Director Lyle Shelton to the contrary.
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