Dominic Saliba: Bomaderry man accused of murdering cousin returns to court

A young man who police allege murdered his teenage cousin at a south coast party, has returned to court more than a year since the tragic incident.

Dominic Saliba was arrested and charged with murder in December 2022.

The tragic matter of a south coast teen allegedly murdered during a house party has returned to court more than a year since the alleged incident occurred.

Dominic Saliba, 20, faced Nowra Local Court on Friday, where his “serious” charges of murder, possess unauthorised firearm and not keep firearm in a safe place were mentioned.

While the alleged murder of Saliba’s 18-year-old cousin, Bailey Jones, occurred more than a year ago in December 2022, the Bomaderry man is still yet to enter pleas to the accusations.

Saliba has remained in custody since his arrest on December 23, 2022 and has seen a handful of bail application attempts refused in the Nowra Local Court.

The arrest and bail attempts arose after the tragic incident on the evening of December 9 the same year, when officers found teenage Mr Jones in the driveway of a Bomaderry home during a house party with “serious” stab wounds to his chest.

NSW Ambulance paramedics described the teen as being in a serious condition.

He was transferred to the Shoalhaven District Hospital, where died the same night.

Bailey Jones, 18, died following the party at the Shoalhaven District Hospital.

Initial reports from witnesses suggested the death was nothing more than a tragic accident, where Mr Jones had been playing with a knife at the party before accidentally stabbing himself.

However, following two weeks of extensive investigations from the South Coast Police District, Saliba was arrested and charged with murder.

On the same day police arrested Saliba, Mr Jones was farewelled at a ceremony in Sydney.

Saliba last appeared in Nowra Local Court on June 23 last year, where a final bail application was promptly declined by Magistrate Lisa Viney.

At the time of the application, the 20-year-old’s lawyer, Helen Christinson, said her client was of good nature and the alleged offence needed more time for investigation.

However, Saliba remained in custody.

In the same court on Friday, Salbia did not make another application for freedom, instead Ms Christinson asked the matter be adjourned yet again to allow for further information to be acquired.

The request was not opposed by Ms Viney, who allowed the matter to be pushed back by four weeks.

Saliba’s matter will return to Nowra Local Court on March 22. He is expected to appear via video link from the South Coast Correctional Centre.

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