A high-flying Sydney banker accused of trying to kill his boyfriend with a hot saucepan in a luxury French hotel previously had a whirlwind romance with former Kyle & Jackie O show star, Intern Pete.
David Cao, 37, allegedly hit his Australian partner, entrepreneur Callum Forbes, on the head with a kitchen pan and poured boiling water over his body in a late-night incident at the Château de Perreux boutique hotel, in central France, on July 28.
The couple paid about $500 for one night in the ‘caves room’ and had planned to head to Amsterdam for the World Gay Pride festival the following day.
Guests and staff reportedly heard screams from the room. Hotel staff later discovered Mr Forbes alone, having suffered critical injuries.
Cao allegedly fled the hotel in a rental car and was arrested about 36 hours later in Lille, almost 500km north of the hotel.
He was detained near the Belgian border and has been charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, theft, torture, and acts of barbarity.
The Daily Mail can now reveal Cao previously dated high-profile radio personality and producer ‘Intern’ Pete Deppeler in 2020.
The Mail has been told their relationship only lasted a few months and it didn’t end on good terms.
Pictured: Former Kyle & Jackie O show star ‘Intern’ Pete Deppeler (left) with David Cao (right) at a production of Frozen in 2020
Callum Forbes, a Sydney-based entrepreneur, was allegedly struck on the head with a kitchen pan and assaulted with boiling water
Cao allegedly attacked Mr Forbes inside one of the ‘cave rooms’ (pictured) at the Château de Perreux boutique hotel, in the Nazelles-Négron area of central France, on July 28
Deppeler declined to comment when contacted by the Mail.
Those who knew Cao have described him to the Mail as ‘highly strung’.
A former colleague from the Bank of Queensland said he was ‘annoying’ to work with, and had an ‘inflated opinion of himself’.
‘He wasn’t an executive, he liked to think he was,’ they said.
Cao often boasted about his professional achievements on LinkedIn, where he shared photographs of himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Westpac CEO Anthony Miller and chief executive Carolyn McCann.
According to his profile, he spent four months as the head of retail value creation at ING Australia, until he was fired in the aftermath of the alleged attempted murder.
He worked at Westpac between 2016 and 2020, and then again between 2024 and 2026. He was a consultant, business manager, head of strategy, executive manager, and head of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Cao also worked as chief business development officer and chief of staff to the CEO at the Bank of Queensland, a strategy manager at the Commonwealth Bank, and an analyst at the prestigious Goldman Sachs.
David Cao is pictured in San Francisco in 2020. In July, he allegedly tried to kill his boyfriend
Deppeler and Cao (pictured together) had a brief relationship in 2020
David Cao is pictured, right, working as the MC for a Westpac event, with CEO Anthony Miller (centre) and chief executive Carolyn McCann
David Cao is pictured, centre, with former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (second left)
Earlier this year, he became a board member of Rainbow Giving Australia – an LGBTQI organisation that secures funding for the community.
According to his Rainbow Giving Australia bio, Cao ‘drove enterprise, systemic change to build a culture of inclusion (and) increase diverse representation at all levels,’ during his time at Westpac.
He also claimed to ‘foster an environment where all employees feel safe, valued, and belong’.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to Cao’s partner, who is recovering in hospital.
Cao reportedly hopes to return to Australia in the next two weeks and will be held in custody while awaiting trial.
Australia has an extradition treaty with France, which means Cao could be extradited home if he meets certain requirements.
The alleged crime must be considered an offence in both countries, Australian officials must submit a formal request for extradition, and French courts must approve the request.
