Family tributes to British backpacker killed in Sydney

The family of a British woman killed in a suspected murder-suicide have said they are "deeply shocked and saddened" by her death.
Undated family handout released through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of Amelia Blake, 22, who was the victim of a suspected murder-suicide and found dead in the Newtown suburb of Sydney last FridayUndated family handout released through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of Amelia Blake, 22, who was the victim of a suspected murder-suicide and found dead in the Newtown suburb of Sydney last Friday
Undated family handout released through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of Amelia Blake, 22, who was the victim of a suspected murder-suicide and found dead in the Newtown suburb of Sydney last Friday
Read More
'Text bomb' bug hits Apple's iPhone and Mac computers

New South Wales Police Force said the body of a man in his 30s, named in reports as Nepalese chef Brazil Gurung, was also discovered in the flat, which is above a Persian restaurant in a road lined with bars and shops.

According to Australian media, the couple had lived in the flat in King Street for several months and police believe Gurung murdered Ms Blake before killing himself.

View of a Persian restaurant on King Street in Newtown, Sydney, where the bodies of Amelia Blake, 22, and a man in his 30s were found in a flat above the restaurant after what police believe was a murder-suicide.View of a Persian restaurant on King Street in Newtown, Sydney, where the bodies of Amelia Blake, 22, and a man in his 30s were found in a flat above the restaurant after what police believe was a murder-suicide.
View of a Persian restaurant on King Street in Newtown, Sydney, where the bodies of Amelia Blake, 22, and a man in his 30s were found in a flat above the restaurant after what police believe was a murder-suicide.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In a statement issued through the Foreign Office, her parents Chris and Sharon said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of our much loved daughter and sister Amelia, who will be truly missed by all who knew her.

"We would like to thank everyone for the love and support shown to our family.

"As we try to come to terms with losing our beautiful girl, we would very much appreciate privacy at this extremely difficult time."

Emergency services were called to the scene three miles south-west of the city centre at around 5.30pm last Friday after concerns were raised for the welfare of a man and a woman at the property.

View of a Persian restaurant on King Street in Newtown, Sydney, where the bodies of Amelia Blake, 22, and a man in his 30s were found in a flat above the restaurant after what police believe was a murder-suicide.View of a Persian restaurant on King Street in Newtown, Sydney, where the bodies of Amelia Blake, 22, and a man in his 30s were found in a flat above the restaurant after what police believe was a murder-suicide.
View of a Persian restaurant on King Street in Newtown, Sydney, where the bodies of Amelia Blake, 22, and a man in his 30s were found in a flat above the restaurant after what police believe was a murder-suicide.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Police attended and discovered the bodies of a woman, aged in her 20s, and a man, aged in his 30s," police said.

Ms Blake, from Loughborough, in Leicestershire, had been travelling around Australia, recently working on a fruit farm in Victoria, and had reportedly been planning to set off travelling Vietnam.

Friends paid tribute on Facebook, with Ellie Mackness saying: "Whenever I saw her she always made me smile or laugh.

"She was the most warm hearted, bubbly, loving and down to earth women I knew."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A former colleague told Australia's Daily Telegraph Gurung had money worries and was "very depressed".

She said the former chef at the Fogo Brazilia Churrasco restaurant, where he met Ms Blake, had feared becoming homeless and described his life as a "living nightmare".

Police said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

A police source told the Press Association the woman is thought to have been the victim of a murder-suicide.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Newtown, the suburb that flanks King Street, is known for having a youthful and diverse population.

The area is popular with backpackers and foreign visitors attracted by its nightlife, cafes and cheaper rents.

A neighbour, who only gave his name as Angelo, said: "I'd guess there were four to six people living in there, I see the owner once every blue moon when he comes to collect rent or whatever.

"I feel sorry for the girl. My first reaction was 'she's 22? A bit young to be on her own'."

Related topics: