Coconut Grove hit-run fatal: Alleged driver Kush Raj Rayamajhi identified after court bid fails

A Darwin lawyer has gone to enormous lengths to try and suppress the name of his client, who has been charged with the hit-run death of a person at Coconut Grove. Read why his bid failed.

The scene of Kush Raj Rayamajhi’s alleged hit and run causing death at Progress Dr, Coconut Grove. Picture: Katie Hall

A lawyer has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the name of his client out of the media, writing a letter to the Chief Judge and telling the court that he, as the man’s advocate, would have “blood on his hands” if the order wasn’t granted.

However, the arguments put forward by Kelly Partners’ Peter Butler, who told Darwin Local Court Judge Ben O’Loughlin on Thursday that there was “no right” for the public, via the media, to know the charges faced by his client, were shot down.

Mr Butler’s client can now be revealed as Kush Raj Rayamajhi, 30, who has been charged with hit and run causing death after he allegedly struck and killed a 42-year-old pedestrian on Progress Dr at Coconut Grove late on May 29.

The Crown allege they discovered Mr Rayamajhi’s vehicle at Woods St, Darwin City, in the wake of the death, and that he did not stop to render assistance to the pedestrian.

In making his suppression order application, Mr Butler told the court his client, who did not attend in person, faced “retribution, given his job”.

“The risk is so acute and so apparent,” Mr Kelly continued.

“The court has a duty of care.

“How is putting the accused at risk of harm furthering the administration of justice?

“I’m not going to have blood on my hands.”

Kelly Partners lawyer Peter Butler. Picture: LinkedIn

He described the predicament faced by his client as an “unfolding nightmare”.

According to Mr Rayamajhi’s LinkedIn profile, he has worked part-time since February 2023 as a tour bus driver for a Top End transport company, but a spokesman for the business said the defendant ceased employment at the end of last year

While Mr Butler referenced a “secondary job” held by Mr Rayamajhi, it was not immediately clear what Mr Rayamajhi’s current, main job is, or why it made him uniquely vulnerable to retribution.

The Crown opposed Mr Butler’s application, telling the court “open justice” should prevail, with nothing concrete put forward by Mr Butler in favour of the application other than the defendant’s belief he was at risk.

Judge O’Loughlin, who labelled Mr Butler’s step of writing a letter in support of the suppression order to Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris “unusual,” agreed with the prosecution.

He said he was “not sure if [duty of care] is a sound legal principle,” and if it was, it belonged in the realm of common, not statute, law.

“I deal with lots of stories per week about things that go on, and sometimes in an accident or situation there’s retribution on the spot, but I’ve never heard of long-term retribution arising from these circumstances,” Judge O’Loughlin said.

Mr Rayamajhi’s charges were adjourned to July 31.

His bail conditions were varied to prohibit him from travelling interstate.

He was ordered to surrender his passport.

Originally published as Coconut Grove hit-run fatal: Alleged driver Kush Raj Rayamajhi identified after court bid fails