Charlestown: Man charged with murder of his autistic teenage cousin

UPDATE: A man charged with the drug-fuelled murder of his autistic teenage cousin in a Lake Macquarie home did not appear in court when his matter was mentioned briefly this morning.

Police will alleged the man charged with the alleged drug-fuelled murder of his autistic teenage cousin inside the youth’s own Charlestown bedroom, allegedly strangled him.

The man, 24, was arrested in the carpark of KFC at Thornton about 1.30am on Tuesday, about an hour after allegedly leaving the unit when his uncle – the boy’s father – arrived home to find his son’s lifeless body next to his bed.

The crime scene in Charlestown, where the suspicious death of a 16 year old male is being investigated by police and forensics officers. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

Detectives will allege the man, who had only been visiting the unit this week, was affected by methylamphetamine when he allegedly attacked the 16-year-old late on Monday.

A senior police source told the Newcastle News police interviewed the man at length on Tuesday evening.

He said police will also allege in court the man strangled his cousin but detectives will have to wait for forensic pathologists to confirm how the boy died.

Police were called to the unit by the teen’s father about 12.30am after the father had arrived back at his residence to find his son’s body.

Detectives will allege the charged man only left the unit as his uncle was discovering the teenager’s body.

The crime scene in Charlestown, where the suspicious death of a 16 year old male is being investigated by police and forensics officers. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

The man was charged with murder and refused bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Wednesday.

His Legal Aid solicitor Gillian Jewison asked that he not be brought up from the police cells and sought an eight-week adjournment to May 12.

A neighbour said he heard screams for help after arriving home from night shift.

“He sounded really distressed. It was quite loud,’’ Bryce said.

The neighbour and his partner, who live almost directly across the road, said an ambulance and four police vehicles arrived within minutes.

CCTV footage shown to The Newcastle News showed a man driving off in a Honda Civic as yelling is heard, moments before cries for help came from the unit blocks.

“The police ran in and there was a lot of yelling, a lot of cops, it was crazy,’’ the neighbour said.

The crime scene in Charlestown. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

Within an hour, police had arrested a man in the carpark of the Weakleys Drive restaurant.

He was taken to the Calvary Mater Hospital at Waratah for treatment before being taken to Belmont police station where he was interviewed.

Police will allege the man had moved from his Evans Head home to Newcastle several months ago.

The crime in Charlestown, being investigated by police and forensics officers. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

He had lived with another relative until last week, when he moved into the Charlestown flat with his uncle and cousin.

Detectives will allege the attack occurred on the boy, who suffers from severe autism, when the father was out.