The mother of the man accused of trying to kill 18 pedestrians when he allegedly drove at them in Melbourne's CBD has spoken of his drug problem.
"Beautiful son, drug no good. Three years sick, very sick. All the time he's sick," Shakiba Jalaly told the Herald Sun in broken English.
"Very, very beautiful son. Beautiful son, drug no good, all the time drug."
An emotional Ms Jalaly was barred from approaching her son Saeed Noori, 32, as he appeared in a Melbourne court on Saturday, charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one of conduct endangering life over the incident on Flinders Street on Thursday.
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Police allege Noori drove a white 4WD and ploughed through pedestrians at the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets on Thursday afternoon.
The Afghan refugee and Australian citizen, held his head in his hands as he sat in the dock, while his emotional mother, who was his only supporter in court, tried to approach him but was told to stay seated.
The motive remained under investigation and more charges could be added, Senior Constable Amitoj Singh said.
Twenty people, including Noori and an off-duty police officer who arrested him, were taken to hospital on Thursday.
Ten people remain there, and an 83-year-old Brunswick man and two South Korean men in their 60s are fighting for life.
Police say the accused man came to Australia via a refugee program in 2004.
Security at Victoria's upcoming major events has been reviewed, with a "highly-visible" police presence planned at Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight and Boxing Day Test after Thursday's incident.
Noori, of Heidelberg West, was remanded in custody on Saturday and was ordered to reappear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday for a preliminary filing hearing.
