Woman charged after man allegedly killed in front of children

A woman has been charged with murder after a man was found dead outside a Cairns unit, with police alleging he was stabbed to death while children were present.

A woman has been charged with murder after a man was found dead outside a Cairns unit, with police alleging he was stabbed to death while children were present.

Police were called to Marchant Street in Manoora, Cairns, just before midnight Friday where a 25-year-old Cairns man had died from stab wounds. Police later said he suffered a “serious neck injury”.

Two crime scenes were later established.

A 21-year-old Mareeba woman was located a short distance from the crime scene and taken into custody. She has since been charged and is due to appear in Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday.

On Saturday, a taxi in which the pair travelled to the unit was declared a crime scene and the taxi’s driver is assisting police with their investigation.

The Courier-Mail understands the alleged stabbing occurred at a family home with four people, including two children, present at the time.

Police establish a crime scene in Marchant Street, Cairns, where a man was found stabbed to death on Friday night.

The two adults and children, who live permanently at the address were assisting police.

Patrol Inspector Andrew Cowie today confirmed the accused is related to the group but does not live full time at the address.

He said those who saw the incident are being offered counselling.

“There is an amount of support being provided to the people who may have been in the area at the time, that may have been affected by this very traumatic matter.”

The Courier-Mail understands the victim was found dead on the unit balcony when emergency services arrived, while police will allege the woman was located in the street still holding a large knife upon officer’s arrival.

It’s also understood police urged the woman to drop the knife and she complied without incident.

It’s unclear why the pair were at the address, however witnesses from the area reported hearing a verbal argument shortly before the man was stabbed.

“They were just having an argument and then the police came,” one Marchant Street resident told The Cairns Post.

“The lady came around the corner, she was running and there was a dog behind her.”

Mawedo Waianga arrived this morning to find police congregating at the far end of Marchant Street.

“We are in shock, we don’t know what happened,” Mr Waianga said, while neighbour Kura Baker said the scene of the stabbing was usually a hive of nocturnal activity.

“They are partying every night,” Mr Baker said.

Marchant Street resident Mawedo Waianga.

He said Friday night was no different to any other at his neighbour’s house.

He said he did not hear anything to suggest a death had occurred among the usual din from the residence.

It’s not expected police will treat this as an act of domestic violence and The Courier-Mail understands the pair were not in a relationship, but were loosely known to each other.

The woman remains in the Cairns Base Hospital this morning under police guard and The Courier-Mail understands she was treated at the scene for cuts to her hand following the stabbing.

Detectives are appealing for anyone who may have seen a man and woman around Navigation Drive and Trinity Beach Road in Trinity Beach between 11pm and 11.30pm to contact police.

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