John Silvester lifts the lid on Australia’s criminal underworld in Naked City, an exclusive newsletter for subscribers sent every Thursday. You’re reading an excerpt – sign up to get the whole newsletter in your inbox.

Why Dr Ashley Gordon, 33, made the split second decision to chase the young men who broke into his Doncaster house on January 13 will never be known.

The circumstances in which he was killed less than a kilometre away will be reviewed in open court as two teenagers have been charged with his murder.

Slain doctor Ash Gordon.Credit: Nine News

The alleged home invaders escaped with a couple of laptops and some shoes − a pathetic haul from any crime. And now a good man is dead, and two 16-year-olds are in custody potentially facing long jail terms that will ruin their lives.

Recent trends show that young offenders head east from the Dandenong area to storm homes, then steal cars, cash and anything they can grab, leaving the residents terrified. They tend to be often, but not exclusively, of African........

© The Age