The boyfriend of a Sydney banker has described the terrifying ordeal of being allegedly attacked with a saucepan and boiling water in a French hotel, recounting his fear that he might die.
Callum Forbes, an entrepreneur, alleges that his partner, David Cao, a banker, struck him on the head with a kitchen pan and poured boiling water over his body on July 28. The incident occurred at the Château de Perreux boutique hotel in central France. The couple had reportedly paid approximately $500 for a night in the hotel's 'caves room' and were planning to travel to Amsterdam for the World Gay Pride festival the following day.
According to reports, guests and hotel staff heard screams emanating from the room. Staff later found Mr Forbes alone and critically injured. He told Gay Sydney Daily that he locked himself in the bathroom during the alleged assault, where hotel staff eventually found him.
"I remember thinking, is this real, is this some kind of nightmare," Forbes stated. "I remember thinking very clearly that I might die there that night in the château."
He described bleeding heavily and being too terrified to open the bathroom door for what felt like over 30 minutes while waiting for hotel staff to arrive. Forbes is currently recovering in hospital with severe head injuries and burns. He anticipates scarring from stitches on his face and back but expects the burns to heal without surgery, with many stitches in his hair being less visible.
Cao allegedly fled the hotel in a rental car and was apprehended approximately 36 hours later in Lille, nearly 500 kilometers north of the hotel. He was taken into custody near the Belgian border and has been charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, theft, torture, and acts of barbarity.
Forbes expressed a desire to return to a normal life, acknowledging that things will feel different for a while. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance to Mr Forbes.
Reports indicate Cao hopes to return to Australia within the next two weeks and will remain in custody while awaiting trial. Australia and France have an extradition treaty, meaning Cao could be extradited to Australia if certain conditions are met, including the alleged crime being an offense in both countries and French courts approving a formal request for extradition from Australian officials.
David Cao previously dated radio personality and producer 'Intern' Pete Deppeler in 2020, though their relationship reportedly lasted only a few months and ended poorly. Deppeler declined to comment when reached.
Individuals familiar with Cao described him to the Daily Mail as "highly strung." A former colleague from the Bank of Queensland characterized him as "annoying" to work with and possessing an "inflated opinion of himself," noting that he was not an executive but acted as if he were.
Cao frequently highlighted his professional achievements on LinkedIn, sharing photos with notable figures such as former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Westpac CEO Anthony Miller. His profile indicates he served as head of retail value creation at ING Australia for four months before his dismissal following the alleged attempted murder. He held various roles at Westpac between 2016 and 2020, and again from 2024 to 2026, including consultant, business manager, head of strategy, executive manager, and head of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). His career also includes positions as chief business development officer and chief of staff to the CEO at the Bank of Queensland, strategy manager at the Commonwealth Bank, and an analyst at Goldman Sachs.