January 20th 2025.
The small suburban courtroom was filled with family and friends as they anxiously awaited the first scheduled appearance of a man charged with attempted murder. The accused, 36-year-old Renata Edward Manning, was arrested over the weekend in Kingston, just south of Brisbane. He is facing eight charges, including attempted murder and common assault.
According to police, Manning allegedly used a lighter to set 34-year-old Destiny Otton-Rakuraku on fire. The altercation between the two occurred at around 7:45am on Saturday, and Otton-Rakuraku was immediately attended to by paramedics and taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a serious condition.
Manning was not required to appear in court today, as he could either appear in person or through a videolink. His defence solicitor, Jacilynn Young, made no application for bail and instead requested an adjournment of five weeks in order to lodge a legal aid application.
Young also applied for the prosecution to provide the defence with a brief of evidence within the same five-week period. The matter was adjourned to March 12 by Magistrate Tracy Mossop, who also ordered Manning to be remanded in custody.
As the court proceedings came to an end, Otton-Rakuraku's friends and supporters left without making any comments. However, an online fundraiser has been set up to help with her medical bills and recovery. Within the first 24 hours of accepting donations, the fundraiser had already received over $24,000 in pledges.
In light of this tragic incident, the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service, known as 1800RESPECT, is also available for support and assistance.
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