Victorian homicide squad detectives have charged one man with murder and questioned and released a second man following a bashing death outside a St Kilda Road McDonald's restaurant.
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Police charged 27-year-old Kyle Zandipour from Melbourne over the death of Joshua Hardy, a 21-year-old university student who lived on campus at Trinity College in Parkville.
Detective Senior Sergeant Sol Solomon had earlier told reporters that the victim was thrown to the ground and kicked in the head in what appeared to have been an unprovoked attack near the corner of Toorak Road shortly after 1am on Saturday.
The attack left Mr Hardy unconscious. A number of McDonald's customers came to the aid of the victim and one man unsuccessfully chased after two men who ran from the scene.
Mr Hardy was taken to The Alfred hospital but died shortly after 2am.
Friends spoke in glowing terms about Mr Hardy, who was in his third year of an arts degree at the University of Melbourne, having completed VCE at Melbourne Grammar in South Yarra.
Originally from Darwin, Mr Hardy was at university on a scholarship. He was described as a leader who went out of his way to help other students.
Mr Hardy's sister was believed to have been among Trinity students who gathered at the college to mourn yesterday.
Tributes from shocked friends and loved ones were posted on his Facebook page. Tributes at the site of the attack included a handwritten note that read: "Return to Dreaming, you are at peace."
Friend Louis Egger said Mr Hardy was widely respected for his kindness and willingness to help others. "He was always smiling, always cracking jokes, everyone knew Joshua Hardy," he said.
"He helped me out when I was at risk of dropping out of uni and he's been a real help to a lot of our young indigenous fellas coming to uni."
Trinity College and Melbourne University released a statement that said: "Joshua came to Trinity in 2012 and soon became loved by all for his prowess on the footy field, his mentoring skills and his community-mindedness.
"Josh was a wonderful student and brother whose sudden passing is a tremendous shock."
Senior Sergeant Solomon described the attack as "yet another violent, senseless assault occurring on a public street in Melbourne late at night".
Mr Zandipour faced an out-of-sessions court hearing on Saturday night and was due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday.
The second man who was assisting police with inquiries had provided a statement and would not face any charges, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
