Supreme Court to decide on new application to have Rolfe's murder trial moved to Darwin

Zachary Rolfe’s lawyer seeks to move murder trial to Darwin

by | Nov 25, 2020 | Court | 3 comments

An application to have Constable Zachary Rolfe’s murder trial moved to Darwin will be heard next month, with details of the reasons for the application suppressed for now.

Rolfe is facing one count of murder for the shooting death of 19-year-old teenager Kumanjayi Walker in the remote Central Australian community of Yuendumu in November last year.

The trial will begin on July 19, and is set to run for five weeks before Acting Justice Mildren.

Rolfe’s lawyer David Edwardson QC, made the application for change of venue in Alice Springs Supreme Court on Wednesday morning, with the reasons for the request suppressed from publication until the trial judge Acting Justice Dean Mildren makes a decision on December 11.

“We have filed quite substantial written submissions. It would be inappropriate for those submissions to be released, should there be any application by the media until such time as we have had an opportunity to agitate whether they should or should not be released,” Mr Edwardson told Registrat Sally Bolton.

Prosecutor Collette Dixon said the Crown would be opposing the application for a change of venue.

Defence lawyers made a similar application in Alice Springs last year which was rejected by Judge John Birch, who suppressed the reasons for his decision.

Rolfe was committed to stand trial in October after a committal hearing in Alice Springs.

Ms Bolton said the matter for the change of trial location would be held in Darwin Supreme Court with an audio visual link to the Alice Springs Supreme Court, so that members of the public and family are able to see and hear those proceedings.

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3 Comments

  1. The Rolfe trial is likely to be a show trial where more consideration is given to community sentiment than for justice.

  2. The bloke shouldn’t of been charged with murder or any offence. There should be no trial. He didn’t just walk in & put a bullet in the blokes head. He was FUCKING DEFNDING HIM SELF FROM BEING STABBED.

  3. This was a Police officer, serving documents to a convicted villan and known Hooligan, who subsequently attacked the officer, The officer shot him in self defense ! Q.E.D

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