‘Remarkable graduate’ killed in Sydney
THE University of Otago Law Faculty is mourning the death of a muchloved alumnus, who was killed in a suspected hitandrun in Sydney.
Mitch East, 28, was found bleeding on a Tamarama street at 4am on Sunday.
Tamarama is in the city’s east, just south of Bondi Beach.
‘‘Police and paramedics performed CPR but were unable to revive the man and he died at the scene,’’ New South Wales police said.
Australian media are reporting the incident as a suspected hitandrun.
Otago University Law Faculty dean Prof Shelley Griffiths said they extended ‘‘our most caring thoughts to all the whanau and friends of Mitch, a remarkable graduate and a muchliked member of our academic community’’.
Mitch graduated with a first class honours degree and after being a clerk at the New Zealand Supreme Court and a senior adviser for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch Terrorist Attack and chose postgraduate study.
He received full scholarship offers to Cambridge Law School, New York University Law School and Harvard Law School.
‘‘One individual receiving such offers from all of these institutions is truly exceptional.
‘‘After completing his LLM, Mitch had embarked on what was sure to be a truly stellar legal career, beginning in New Zealand before moving to Sydney last year.’’
Prof Griffiths said beyond his outstanding academic accomplishments, ‘‘Mitch was quite simply a lovely person’’.
‘‘Far from being arrogant or selfcongratulatory about his achievements, he was easygoing and friendly to all. He had a smile that could brighten any room. The quality of his friendship is spoken to by the outpouring of grief from his classmates here at Otago — he built bonds that time and distance could not loosen.
‘‘As a faculty, we mourn Mitch and his passing away from the shores of his home here in Aotearoa New Zealand: Tukua mai he kapunga oneone ki ahau hei tangi ma¯ku [‘send me a handful of soil so that I may weep over it’].’’
NSW police yesterday said the investigation was being taken over by specialist officers from the Crash Investigation Unit.
The driver of a white SUV nearby was reportedly being sought by police. No arrests had yet been made. —Additional reporting RNZ