Accused killer of teenager Elijah Doughty pleads not guilty

Man pleads not guilty to manslaughter of teen that sparked protests in Western Australia.

Elijah Doughty

Elijah Doughty. Source: Supplied

A West Australian man has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of a Kalgoorlie teenager by running him down with his ute, sparking protests.

The 55-year-old man, who cannot be identified, is accused of chasing down 14-year-old Elijah Doughty in his ute and fatally striking the Aboriginal teenager, who was allegedly riding a stolen motorbike in August.

The man appeared in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on Wednesday via video link from an undisclosed location where he pleaded not guilty to manslaughter as upset members of Elijah's family watched on.

Defence counsel Seamus Rafferty said his client offered to plead guilty to the lesser charge of dangerous driving occasioning death, but it was rejected by the prosecution. He said the offer remained.

Prosecutors are seeking for the trial to be held in Perth.

The man is scheduled to appear in the WA Supreme Court in February.

There was a protest outside the Kalgoorlie courthouse when the man first appeared on August 30, with police injured and nearby shops forced to close.

Hundreds of people gathered for what began as a peaceful protest before escalating, with angry people throwing rocks and bottles at cars, buildings and police.

The outburst highlighted the racial tensions in the gold mining town.


Share
Published 21 December 2016 1:18pm
Updated 21 December 2016 1:50pm
Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Featured Live Channels

Subscribe to the NITV Newsletter

Receive the latest Indigenous news, sport, entertainment and more in your email inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
Interviews and feature reports from NITV.
A mob-made podcast about all things Blak life.
Get the latest with our nitv podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on NITV
The Point: Referendum Road Trip

The Point: Referendum Road Trip

Live weekly on Tuesday at 7.30pm
Join Narelda Jacobs and John Paul Janke to get unique Indigenous perspectives and cutting-edge analysis on the road to the referendum.
#ThePoint