Friends and family are mourning Cait O'Brien, a 31-year-old nurse who was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend while recovering from brain surgery. Police found her stabbed to death after forcing entry into her flat in Gardenvale, southeast Melbourne, at about 7.30pm on Tuesday.
Ms O'Brien had a brain tumour removed on May 14 and had recently returned to work, described by friends as 'rocking her awesome new hairdo'. Her aunt Maureen Gill expressed the family's shock, saying 'Uncle Russell will look after you our darling, and your nan and gramps. Rest peacefully.'
Todd Gawn, a former classmate, remembered her as a loyal friend who never lost touch. 'She saw the better in people - even when everyone else had written them off,' he said. Narelle Bonner, a colleague of 10 years, said Ms O'Brien was a 'wonderful nurse' who treated everyone with care.
Ms O'Brien's boyfriend, Shea Dylan Sturt, 32, was arrested and charged with murder. The court heard police were investigating an alleged history of domestic violence. Sturt had posted bizarre messages on Facebook on the day of her death, including a video titled 'How To Be Married and Not Be Murdered'.
