Kempsey: Man, 25, charged with murder of Ekampreet Sahni in Bar Beach carpark
Police investigating the shooting death of teenager Ekampreet Sahni at a popular Newcastle carpark have charged a second man with murder, alleging he also got out of a car armed with a firearm and wearing a balaclava.
Newcastle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Newcastle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Detectives investigating the alleged random shooting death of a teenager in a Newcastle car park have charged a second man with murder.
Strike Force Bolwarra investigators visited the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre at Kempsey on Thursday and charged the 25-year-old with the murder of Ekampreet Sahni, 18, in Bar Beach carpark late on April 23.
The man, who was in custody on remand for unrelated matters, is the second person charged with the teen’s murder after Decklen Deaves-Thornton walked into Newcastle police station two days after the death and was arrested.
Police will allege the second man was driving a Volvo SUV when they parked in the carpark before a passenger, 22-year-old Deaves-Thornton, got out of the car armed with a gun.
Police will allege Deaves-Thornton poked Ekam in the chest with a rifle before the gun later discharged, hitting the teenager and killing him.
Police will allege the second charged man also got out of the car armed with a pistol and wearing a balaclava.
They do not allege the second man fired a shot from the pistol but was part of a joint criminal enterprise with Deaves-Thornton when the fatal shot was fired.
Detectives will allege that the Volvo SUV carrying the alleged gunmen randomly parked at the car park while Ekam and other men were there socialising.
Before the accuseds’ arrival, Ekam had spoken to two women parked nearby at the popular beach carpark before becoming involved in a physical altercation with another man soon after.
The fight ended and all parties had become amicable. It is not alleged those parties knew anyone in the Volvo, which had arrived independently.
But police allege Deaves-Thornton overheard the unfounded allegations levelled at Ekam after arriving at the scene, and was allegedly told by one of the men that the teen was “annoying” the girls.
Deaves-Thornton then allegedly grabbed his rifle and confronted Ekam, twice poking the teenager’s chest with it.
As the alleged gunman walked back to the car, police will allege Ekam said something back to him before Deaves-Thornton shot him.
Other witnesses ran off as Ekam collapsed to the ground.
The Volvo was driven off before allegedly being burnt out almost 15km away in Tingira Heights.
The second man has been charged with murder and two firearm-related offences.
He is due to face court on Friday.
Disability worker drugged woman with meth laced cheese, chocolate
A Newcastle man who drugged a young woman with cheese and chocolate laced with amphetamines before making several attempts to have sex with her has been sentenced.
Read more
‘Disturbing’: The sickening rise in child-like sex doll imports
Authorities are seizing child-like sex dolls at the country’s border on an almost weekly basis in a “disturbing rise” in importations which can attract maximum fines of almost $800,000 and 10-year jail terms. See who has been charged.
Read more