Man accused of 90-year-old grandmother's murder 'affected by Ozempic'

Man accused of 90-year-old grandmother's murder 'affected by Ozempic' Valentina Spivak was found with multiple stab wounds to her chest and throat in Sydney, Australia - her 47-year-old grandson Sergei Mitnik has been charged with her murder A man has been charged with murder after he allegedly embarked on a stabbing rampage that ended with the death of a 90-year-old woman - and he says weight-loss drug Ozempic is to blame. Valentina Spivak was found with multiple stab wounds to her chest and throat after emergency services were called to her flat at around 5.15 pm on Saturday (September 19). Her alleged attacker, her 47-year-old grandson Sergei Mitnik, was arrested at her home in Sydney, Australia, and has since been charged with domestic violence-related murder. He had been the one to alert authorities to the allegedly violent scene, telling emergency services in a rather chilling Triple Zero call that he needed help in "having a body removed from the location" as his grandmother was“ not compliant", which meant that, "unfortunately, I have to get an ambulance here". As per court records, he then hung up and turned off his phone to wait for police to arrive. When New South Wales Police officers descended on the Sydney flat, Ms Spivak was found inside with 19 stab wounds to her chest and throat. Court documents seen by Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph allege that Mitnik had been estranged from his grandmother before he turned up at her doorstep on Saturday for one final visit. When at her Bondi flat on Saturday, Mitnik was there for nearly an hour before the alleged attack took place. A knife was allegedly found at the property. In a Sunday bail hearing, lawyers for Ms Spivak's accused killer told the court that Mitnik was taking Ozempic and had suffered from mental health issues. "He states to me that Ozempic had an effect on him as a result of the medication," solicitor Javid Faiz said. His solicitor added that Mitnik had been due to meet with a psychologist a month before the alleged murder, but the appointment had been cancelled. Mr Faiz told the hearing that he could seek to have his client transferred to a mental health facility in the future, and asked the court to assess him as needed by two psychiatrists. A police prosecutor told the court the statement of facts referred to Mitnik making "some admissions". It did not shed any light on what mental health conditions he may have been suffering from when the alleged murder took place. The 47-year-old did not apply for bail. It was formally refused either way, with a judge advising him to receive any necessary treatment and be provided with medication as needed. Eastern Suburbs Police Area Commander Detective Superintendent Jodi Radmore said Mitnik did not live in Bondi and had been cooperative with police. "One alleged murder is too many … we just have to work together to do better," she said. But it wasn't just one - it was three. Within hours of each other on Saturday, as an epidemic of violence continues to ravage, seemingly unchecked, Down Under. Just hours after Ms Spivak met her tragic end in her own flat in Bondi Beach, the body of another elderly woman was discovered by police. The woman, aged in her 70s, was found at Mole River by police responding to a domestic violence callout at around 9.35 pm. Her 37-year-old son is charged with murder. And, also on Saturday, a 23-year-old woman was found with critical stab wounds inside a home in Wagga Wagga, also in the state of New South Wales. First responders raced to the scene on Saturday morning, arriving at about 11.45 am, but the woman died at the scene. Police were told a man had fled the location before their arrival. An 18-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Wagga Wagga police station, but he was later released without charge. Later that same day, at about 8.30 pm, a 31-year-old man was arrested at a Wagga Wagga home and taken to the police station, where he remains. All three people are believed to have been known to each other.