In Australia, teenager’s case postponed for three months — ABC News Australia
A youth court in Tennant Creek, Australia, has postponed for three months the case of a 17-year-old boy charged with the murder of a 21-year-old man. As ABC News Australia reports, the reason for the adjournment was a delay in obtaining key evidence, including a post-mortem examination report.
Investigative materials are awaited
Northern Territory Police charged the teenager with murder on June 14. According to police, two days earlier the boy stabbed the man, who later died from the injury, following an altercation in the early hours of the day. The victim, with a neck wound, was found several blocks from Tennant Creek’s main street.
During the hearing, the boy, whose name is not disclosed for legal reasons, was excused from attending in person. Prosecutor David Dalrymple said investigators were still awaiting forensic results, as well as statements from police officers and civilian witnesses. Evidence from the scene also continues to be examined and, he said, is unlikely to be ready by mid-November.
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Post-mortem report may be delayed
The prosecutor identified the post-mortem examination report as a separate issue. The Northern Territory’s permanent forensic pathologist is on leave, and it remains unclear who else may undertake preparation of the document. Dalrymple said he could not guarantee that the report would be ready by the next hearing date.
Defence lawyer Kieran Bonser said the delay concerned his client, but given the nature of the charge, the prosecution needed to obtain the necessary materials. In adjourning the case, Judge Carly Ingels stressed that under juvenile justice law the matter should be heard as quickly as possible, but acknowledged that the prosecution’s capacity was limited. The next hearing was scheduled for December 17.
