Tim Picton: Chris Picton opens up on ‘hole in family that’s never going to be filled’ after brother’s death

The brother of former Labor strategist Tim Picton has spoken of the devastation of his brother’s death on his family and revealed the final time he spoke to his brother was over a video call on Christmas Day. In his first interview since his brother’s death in early January, South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton shared his and his family’s continued anguish. “This has been the hardest thing I think our family has ever had to deal with,” he said. “The shock that we had on that Saturday morning, getting that phone call that my brother was in hospital, he was being rushed into surgery, and he might not come out, still haunts me and my family to this day,” he said. “A lot of people who go through a lot of very difficult things, and a lot of people who deal with grief all the time. “I’m not saying that what we’ve dealt with is any worse than what anyone else has had to deal with, but this has been a nightmare that we keep thinking how we’re going to wake up from. “It’s been very, very difficult for us all to face there’s a hole in our family that’s never, ever going to be filled.” Tim Picton was remembered last week in a Perth memorial service, with family, friends and former colleagues attending. He revealed the last time he spoke to his brother was on Christmas Day, a day Tim cherished, over FaceTime. “The last time I spoke to Tim was actually on FaceTime on Christmas Day, talking to him and Charlotte with our kids around Christmas lunch, and it was always a really special day for our family.” He also spoke in depth about the love Tim had for his daughter Charlotte, who turned four while her father was in hospital. “Tim’s number one legacy is going to be Charlotte, as I said in the memorial, she is like a Tiny Tim, she’s got the spark, got the determination that Tim has,” he said. “She’s just turned four, which means that probably the full impact of this hasn’t hit home yet, and this is going to be an impact that will be there for the rest of her life.” Tim, 36, was found unconscious on the ground outside a James Street nightclub at about 5.30am in late December. He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital and placed on life support, but never woke up, dying in mid-January. Chris Picton also revealed his brother was an organ donor, but was unable to donate organs because of the coronial process. “There are so many heartbreaking things as part of this, but one of them was when we found out that because of the coronial process, he wasn’t able to be an organ donor,” he said. “Tim was registered as an organ donor, he expressed his views very clearly that he wanted to be an organ donor, so we wanted to make sure that there was some good that could come out of this awfulness. “I’ve met a lot of families who have been through similar grief and similar trauma, and you do get a semblance of hope out of the fact that some good has come out of tragedy. “I’m so sad, we are all so sad that that could not happen for Tim.” Brodie Jake Dewar, 20, was charged with grievous bodily harm over the incident and is due to face court again in February. It’s expected the charge against Dewar will be upgraded to manslaughter. He has since been charged over another alleged unprovoked assault on a 40-year-old man near the Kalamunda Hotel, two days before he is accused of the attack on Mr Picton. While Mr Dewar was initially granted bail for the charges against Tim, it was revoked during a hearing over the alleged Kalamunda assault. Chris Picton spoke of his surprise over bail being allowed in the first place. “I have to say I was pretty shocked that that first bail application that the police made where the police very clearly said they wanted bail to be refused,” he said. “They very clearly said that they believed this person was to be a risk to the community. “I’m shocked that the magistrate allowed bail to happen.”