Teenager charged with murder over alleged attack on elderly couple at Perth home

A teenager accused of murdering an elderly man, as well as seriously injuring his wife and dog, has faced court.

A 19-year-old man has been charged with the murder of an elderly man and the serious assault of an elderly woman. Picture: 7 News

A young man charged with murdering an 81-year-old man and also stabbing his elderly wife in their Perth home has faced court.

Pasifique Zawadi Niyonyishi, 19, appeared in Joondalup Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with the murder of Colin Norton and the attempted murder of his 75-year-old wife Margaret.

He was not represented by a lawyer and was remanded in custody to face Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court in April.

Police were called to Mattison Way in Greenwood about 8am on Monday following reports a man had been seriously injured.

A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder over the death of an elderly man in Perth. Picture: 7 News

Police will allege the teenager entered a home and seriously assaulted the couple before leaving the scene.

The man sustained critical head and other injuries, and died at the scene.

The 75-year-old woman sustained serious abdominal injuries and was taken to hospital by St John Ambulance for treatment. She remains in a stable condition.

A family dog was also stabbed while coming to the owners’ aid, police said. He was taken to an emergency vet and is expected to make a full recovery.

The 19-year-old man was found about 9.20am and taken into custody on Forest Hill Drive in Kingsley.

It’s believed the teenager is known to another man who resides at the Greenwood home.

Police were called to the Perth home on Monday morning. Picture: 7 News

A Kingsley resident recalled the moment the alleged offender was apprehended by police.

“We looked outside and there was a whole bunch of police cars with the man face down, handcuffed behind his back, on the top of our driveway,” Nicky Haynes told The West Australian.

“It’s terrible and for them to catch him on our driveway – it’s not what happens in the suburb … it’s a bit scary.”

Another onlooker said the man didn’t “put up a fight” when police arrested him.

The woman survived the alleged stabbing and remains in hospital. Picture: 7 News

Witnesses have described the wild moment the alleged offender was taken into custody. Picture: 7 News

“The first thing I heard was a police officer yell ‘get to the ground, get to the ground’ – I’m guessing he had his firearm drawn at him as the officer was only by himself,” he said.

“The guy laid down straight away, he didn’t put up a fight, he didn’t try to run or anything like that.

“He (the officer) got him on the ground straight away, pinned him there, then there was cop car after cop car after cop car.

“He was just a young guy … wearing socks and slides and a bum bag.

“He just looked really young, almost 15. He didn’t say much – only when the cops initially got him on the floor he was yelling, but then he didn’t say a word after that.”

The street where the alleged incident occurred. Picture: Google Maps

The “tight-knit” Greenwood community has rallied around the surviving woman, offering their support and well wishes as she recovers in hospital

“I’m almost certain I can say on behalf of the entire community, we are so very sorry to hear about the (alleged) incident this morning,” a Greenwood resident wrote on a community Facebook page.

“Our thoughts and community love go to the lady that is hopefully recovering in hospital.

“Please, please just ask if you need anything from your community to help you, we are here for you.”

As the incident unfolded, residents in the Greenwood area received a message from WA Police urging them to stay indoors while they hunted for the alleged knifeman.

“WA Police are attending a serious incident in the Greenwood area. Members of the public should be alert, not alarmed,” the message read.

“Please stay indoors and limit your travel. Suspicious activity can be reported to police via triple-zero.”

Detective Inspector Gary Butler said police believed the parties were “known to each other in some way”.

“Homicide squad detectives are in the early stages of their investigation. However, early indications suggest the parties were known to each other in some way,” he said on Monday.

Originally published as Teenager charged with murder over alleged attack on elderly couple at Perth home