Disgraced former MP Barry Urban dies three months after alleged assault
Disgraced former WA Labor MP Barry Urban has died, three months after an alleged attack at a tyre business in Perth’s southeast. Urban, 56, passed away in hospital on Saturday night, WA Premier Roger Cook confirmed.
"Barry was the subject of a dreadfully violent attack in the workplace and has been fighting for his life ever since," Cook told reporters.
The incident occurred in November when Urban, who managed the Kelmscott business, had a verbal altercation with a customer. Police allege that 25-year-old Jerry Aniseto Masipau punched Urban in the head, causing him to fall and sustain critical injuries upon hitting the ground.
Urban was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital, where he remained in critical condition. Masipau, from Seville Grove, was charged with multiple offences, including grievous bodily harm, common assault, aggravated burglary, reckless driving and having no authority to drive.
"Unfortunately, (Mr Urban) succumbed to his injuries and police are now obviously reviewing the charges in relation to that incident," Cook stated.
Urban had been working at the tyre business since his release from prison in 2023, after serving 18 months of a three-year sentence for forging records and lying to state parliament.
His political career was short-lived. Elected in 2017 for the Darling Range seat, Urban resigned less than eight months later following revelations that he had fabricated academic qualifications and military service records. His downfall began when he wore a distinctive medal to official events, claiming it was awarded for investigating war crimes in the Balkans. Investigations later revealed he had not earned the commendation and had instead purchased it online. Further scrutiny uncovered additional falsehoods, including fabricated university degrees and an inaccurate claim of serving as a sergeant in the West Midlands police force.
Urban resigned in May 2018, moments before a parliamentary committee tabled its findings on his misconduct. When sentencing him, Judge Carmel Barbagallo described him as "the real-life Pinocchio of parliament".
Premier Cook acknowledged Urban’s troubled past but expressed condolences, saying, "Barry… was someone of perhaps flawed character, none of us are perfect but he was part of the WA Labor family, so we're very sad for him and his family. He was a very jovial guy, a very likeable guy and someone who had his troubles."
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