Benjamin Martin, Ronald Martin, Jeremy Scrutton plead guilty to killing Jacinta Price’s nephew

Three men have faced court, charged with the death of the nephew of Jacinta Price. Read what was heard.

The court heard there had been ‘ongoing issues between different family groups’ in the lead up to the fatal confrontation in the early hours of June 5. Picture: Jason Walls

Three men who stabbed the nephew of Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to death as part of an ongoing family feud have pleaded guilty to his manslaughter.

Benjamin Martin, Ronald Martin and Jeremy Scrutton each faced the Supreme Court in Alice Springs following the death of Kumanjayi Presley in June 2020.

The court heard there had been “ongoing issues between different family groups” including the Martins, Scruttons and Presleys in the lead up to the fatal confrontation in the early hours of June 5.

The court also heard the trio were part of a group of people who armed themselves with weapons including axes, knives, machetes, nulla nullas and iron bars before travelling to an address where Mr Presley was at the time.

The group got out of their vehicles and approached the front gates yelling out at the occupants and “calling them outside in order to confront them”.

Most of the people inside the house came out into the yard but “became afraid” upon seeing the armed mob and ran back inside and locked the doors.

After some members of the group began to strike the house with the weapons, Mr Presley came outside to tell the group to leave.

The court heard it was then Benjamin Martin approached him armed with a white-handled butcher-style knife and stabbed him in the rear of his left leg before he fell to the ground.

Benjamin Martin then dragged Mr Presley towards the back of the house where Ronald Martin and Jeremy Scrutton each stabbed him once to the same leg.

Neighbours then called the police as the group fled, leaving Mr Presley “lying on the ground bleeding and moaning”.

Police and paramedics arrived and began first aid but Mr Presley was unable to be revived while blood stains on two knives and items of clothing recovered by police were later matched to the victim.

A forensic pathologist would determine Mr Presley’s death was caused by “sharp force injuries to the left lower leg”.

“While all of the sharp force injuries contributed to the general blood loss and therefore death, the most serious injury was the one that severed the femoral artery,” a statement of agreed facts tendered to the court reads.

“It cannot be determined which offender inflicted which wound.

“(But) by their individual conduct in stabbing the deceased, each offender acted as a principal in the commission of the offence of manslaughter.”

All three men will return to court for sentencing on October 25.

Originally published as Benjamin Martin, Ronald Martin, Jeremy Scrutton plead guilty to killing Jacinta Price’s nephew