Fatal stabbing accused to face three-day hearing

THE court is expected to this week determine whether there is enough evidence for the matter to proceed to a trial.

The scene of the brawl in Murwillumbah. James Paul Alderton is facing a committal hearing over an alleged stabbing murder. Picture: Steve Holland

A COURT is expected to this week determine whether there is enough evidence for a trial to proceed against the man accused of a fatal stabbing.

James Paul Alderton, 25, has been accused of murder over the death of Charles Larter.

Mr Larter was allegedly fatally stabbed during the incident in Knox Park, Murwillumbah on June 6, 2017.

Mr Alderton is this week facing a committal hearing this week before Lismore Local Court.

The defendant, who remains in custody over the alleged incident, has appeared in the dock for the first portion of the hearing.

Crown prosecutor Brendan Campbell tendered to the court a summary of the Crown case and called a woman, who phoned Triple 0 while the alleged brawl was ongoing, to the witness stand.

She told the court she was with her children in the Knox Park playground as the furore broke out.

Mr Campbell played to the court a recording of her phone conversation with a Triple 0 operator.

In the call, the woman described "people with knives".

Under cross-examination, she said could only recall seeing one person with a knife.

She had also described others wielding other implements and chasing a man with a knife.

The court heard she saw the group, of more than 30 people, move near the children's playground, then toward the netball courts, before disappearing behind the Community Centre on the Nullum St side of the park.

By the end of the phone call with Triple 0, police had still not arrived and the woman told the operator she could not hear sirens.

The hearing will continue this afternoon and it's expected to run until Wednesday.