Darius Miller sentenced two years after police falsely accuse teen of Peppimenarti crossbow killing

A young father who fired a crossbow into the heart of a man from a feuding family has been sentenced after allowing his friend to take the blame for the fatal shot.

Darius Miller was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in December for committing a violent act causing death to a 36-year-old Timber Creek father on September 13, 2022.

A young man who fired a crossbow bolt 26cm into a man’s chest has been jailed after a case of mistaken identity delayed the homicide investigation for two years.

Darius Miller was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in December for committing a violent act causing death on a 36-year-old Timber Creek father on September 13, 2022.

The then 21-year-old was in Peppimenarti as the tensions between two feuding families broke out into violence.

Miller and his 18-year-old friend Michael Singar were at the basketball court that evening when a white troop carrier started doing burnouts on the community oval.

The Supreme Court heard a large crowd gathered armed with torches and weapons as opposing families prepared for a fight.

Miller loaded up a black crossbow, while Singar pulled back the strings of his longbow, before the two men fired simultaneously into the darkness. 

Singar’s distinctive orange arrow landed in the dirt, Miller’s crossbow bolt lodged itself 26cm into a 36-year-old man’s chest.

Hearing the “screaming, wailing and crying” from the crowd, the two young men fled.

Miller handed someone his crossbow and told him to hide it, while the teenager ran to his grandmother’s home.

Falling into her arms, sobbing and shaking the 18-year-old erroneously claimed responsibility for the fatal shot.

Police initially charged Singar with manslaughter, while Millar faced the lesser charge of recklessly endangering serious harm.

Singar spent 109 days in prison before police revealed the bolt in the victim’s heart did not match the teenager’s crossbow.

The younger man pleaded guilty to aggravated recklessly endangering serious harm and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended immediately.

Peppimenarti teenager Michael Singar had manslaughter charges dropped following a fatal crossbow shooting on September 13, 2022.

Miller pleaded guilty to firing the fatal shot in October, which Justice Sonia Brownhill said was a continuation of a long, cyclical history of violence plaguing the West Daly region. “That ongoing feuding has led to much violence in the community and numerous unnecessary deaths, including this one, “Justice Brownhill said.

“Each time a person dies or is seriously hurt, that becomes an excuse for more violence and harm.

“It is not right that members of these communities have had to suffer the loss of and harm to their loved ones.

“And it is not right that children are repeatedly exposed to and traumatised by the violence and grow up thinking it is normal and an appropriate way to resolve conflict.”

In her victim impact statement, the victim’s wife said she was haunted by the thought: “why did they kill him?”

While Miller was judged to have reasonable prospects for rehabilitation — with the young man having a good work history as an assistant teacher, strong family support and minimal criminal history — Justice Brownhill said a stern warning was needed to curb the “senseless violence”.

Millar was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, suspended after 14 months followed by a community corrections order.

He told the court after release he wanted to return to Emu Point to work as a ranger and be with his partner and their seven-year-old son.

Originally published as Darius Miller sentenced two years after police falsely accuse teen of Peppimenarti crossbow killing