‘Straight to jail’: NT Government rushing tougher bail laws after stabbing death of beloved Darwin shopkeeper amid crime crisis
Tough new laws are being drafted and rushed to parliament after the alleged stabbing murder of a beloved shopkeeper by a teen who had been bailed six days prior.
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Tougher laws are being drafted and will go to the Northern Territory parliament next week following the alleged murder of a beloved elderly shopkeeper yesterday by a teenager who was bailed just six days prior.
Fury has erupted in the Top End over the death of Linford Feick, 71, who ran the Friendly Grocer store in Nightcliff in Darwin’s north and was allegedly stabbed while confronting a shoplifter.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old man and revealed he was granted bail by the Supreme Court on April 17 for “serious offences”, which The Australian revealed include rape, aggravated assault and child sexual abuse.
At a press conference this afternoon, NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said urgently drafted bail law reform will be introduced to parliament on Wednesday, designed to keep serious offenders behind bars.
“There’s clearly an issue when it comes to bail,” Ms Finocchiaro said.
“We’re making sure we are taking strong action right now … and with these changes, we should see less people bailed. If you do the wrong thing, we’ll find a bed for you in a prison.
“We are ready and prepared. We will find a bed for people who need one in a prison because we’d rather them in a prison than on the streets committing crime.”
Just after 5pm on Wednesday, police allege Mr Feick caught the teenager – who turned 18 just three days ago – stealing and demanded the items be returned. He allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the shop owner, before fleeing the scene on a bicycle.
Horrified customers and staff rushed to Mr Feick’s aid and provided CPR, but his injuries were too severe. Emergency services arrived within 10 minutes, but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead.
Police swarmed the scene and launched a manhunt. Officers cordoned off the area and obtained CCTV footage from the shop and surrounding businesses.
The alleged killer was quickly identified and with the help of his family and community members, he was convinced to hand himself in, NT Police say.
Crime crisis ‘worst we’ve seen’
The Top End is in the grips of a worsening crime crisis and the Chief Minister said the proposed new laws will require judges to express clear satisfaction that bailed persons don’t pose a risk to the community.
It’s hoped the changes will put the judiciary on notice that Territorians have had enough.
“We’re not afraid to stand up on behalf of Territorians, of victims, and of people who just want to live their lives in peace,” Ms Finocchiaro said.
The NT Government has already passed Declan’s Law, which introduced a presumption against bail, and while she insisted it was working, the Chief Minister conceded more needed to be done.
“We’ve always said there’s more work that needs to be done and while from time-to-time we’re seeing good indicators, we know more needs to be done.
“Crime is too high right across the Territory. This crime crisis is the worst we’ve seen.
“Territorians don’t deserve to live like this. Our community stands united against people who seek to attack our beautiful lifestyle.”
Alleged killer was out on bail
At about 12.35am on Thursday, the alleged stabber presented himself in at Palmerston Police Station and was arrested. Charges are yet to be laid.
It has been revealed the man was granted bail by the NT Supreme Court just six days prior for “serious offences”, which police declined to detail today but noted were “serious enough for a youth to be before that court”.
The Australian has since reported that those offences are: two counts of aggravated assault, three counts of rape, depriving a person of their personal liberty, sexual intercourse with a child under 16, assaulting and resisting police, and spitting on an officer or emergency worker.
A condition of his bail was that he remain in a remote community. He was not fitted with an ankle monitoring device.
The newspaper also revealed the teenager was on a good behaviour bond after he pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle without consent. He wasn’t convicted.
And some 12 months earlier, he was sentenced for aggravated burglary, damage to a property, and theft, and was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond.
Territory politician Andrew Mackay, the member for Goyder, said: “I will be finding out what I can in relation to why this alleged offender was on bail and what other bail conditions might have been in place.”
‘Glorified office block’
Adding to the fury being felt by Territorians is the fact that right across the street from the Friendly Grocer store is a brand-new, state-of-the-art police ‘station’.
But the facility isn’t staffed by general duties officers and closes from 4pm on weekdays.
Ms Finocchiaro said it’s a “glorified office block … that should never have been built” and is a legacy of the previous Labor Government that she inherited.
But the decision to fill it with frontline police wasn’t hers to make, she said.
“What’s important is that operational decisions are left to police. My understanding is that the functionality … is better [provided by other stations].”
It would jeopardise policing capacity to divert resources from elsewhere, she said, and NT Police insist the Nightcliff community can be adequately patrolled from other nearby stations.
Family left devastated
Mr Feick’s devastated wife Margaret said her life had been shattered by the death of her “beautiful husband of 51 years”.
“I am too broken to go to sleep,” Ms Feick wrote in an emotional Facebook message in the early hours of Thursday. “My beautiful husband was stolen from me.”
“Linford worked so sincerely to maintain the community vibe with smiles, trust and humanity.
“A beautiful man, a true gentleman, and my soulmate. Gone forever.”
Their son Ben told The Australian that crime had been “a reality to us for a long time” and the tragedy was “out worst nightmare come true”.
“He was a great man, he was well loved, we’re so appreciative of the community outreach,” he told the newspaper.
Kat McNamara, the local member for Nightcliff, said she was “utterly heartbroken” by the news and had spent the night at the scene to comfort staff and shoppers.
“Everybody should have the right to go to work and come home safely to their families,” Ms McNamara said in a statement.
“This horrific act of violence has no place in our community.”
Epidemic of violent crime
The Top End has been battling violent crime, particularly involving youth offenders, for years and Ms Finocchiaro campaigned on a zero-tolerance platform ahead of the Country Liberal Party’s election win last year.
Late last night, Ms Finocchiaro shared a brief video to social media responding to the “tragic loss of life”.
“It is devastating that we are at this point again,” she said. Our focus right now is on the welfare of the family.
“Every Territorian knows that this is not OK. We reinforce our commitment that everything is on the table. The police and I will have more to say as more information unfolds.”
Action for Alice founder Darren Clark, an anti-crime campaigner based in Alice Springs, another NT region in the grips of a crime epidemic, slammed the response.
“Why wasn’t it already on the table?” Mr Clark said.
“Darwin is seriously bad at the moment. This incident happened across from a police station that is not staffed by police. A family is devastated, their whole world changed forever.
“Why do we always have to wait until a tragic event to shake our leaders up? Simply not good enough.”
Ana Aitcheson, who runs the domestic violence shelter Dawn House, said the increase in violent knife crime across the Territory was out of control.
“Everybody’s got a machete or a knife or scissors on them,” Ms Aitcheson told The Australian.
“The amount of stabbings up here, that’s increasing, knife violence it’s just wild.”
A service station employee near the Friendly Grocer store told the NT News yesterday: “It’s not safe here. A few months ago, someone else was stabbed here too.”
Federal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the opposition’s spokesperson for Indigenous Affairs, said the alleged act of “senseless and violent behaviour is shocking and utterly condemnable”.
“We must do everything we can to stamp out this abhorrent behaviour,” Senator Price said.
Earlier this year, Friendly Grocer was part of a group of local businesses to voice concern about the growing crime problem in the suburb.
Despite a new police station recently opening just across the road, it was poorly staffed and locals said the number of officers visible in the area had actually reduced.
“Safety hasn’t changed — if anything I reckon it’s got worse,” a Friendly Grocer staffer said at the time.
“There used to be a foot patrol that went around — they really made it a safer place.”
Laurie Zio, the member for Fannie Bay, said she was “furious and devastated” by the latest “senseless act [of] violence”.
“When did we become a place that someone caught shoplifting responds with outright murder?” Ms Zio said.
“Our entire community is shaken, again … and rightfully so. Everyone has the right to be so, so angry. I have no words, but my thoughts are with his family, his loved ones, and everyone in our community who is reeling from this.”
The death comes two years after bottle shop worker Declark Laverty was murdered at the Airport Tavern BWS in Darwin’s north by Keith Kerinauia, who was 19.
Kerinauia had been bailed for aggravated assault and robbery charges just weeks prior. He is currently serving 20 years behind bars for the fatal stabbing.
Fed-up locals vent fury
Mr Feick’s shocking death has prompted a flood of anger across social media from frustrated locals who say drastic measures are needed to tackle out-of-control violence.
“Bring in the army,” one wrote.
“So much for the government cracking down on crime,” another said. “Truly enough is enough.”
A woman wrote that Darwin was no longer a safe place to raise a family, recounting multiple instances experienced or witnessed by her children.
“My daughter frequents that store, my son witnessed the stabbings at Casuarina two weeks ago, there was a stabbing murder in our suburb three weeks ago. My other son at eight-years-old old asked me: ‘Is that where the man was stabbed to death?
“A few years ago, someone jumped my kids’ school fence, threatened students, threatened to come back, which forced the primary school next door into a lockdown for almost two hours which was EXTREMELY traumatic for these kids.
“What does it take to cross the threshold into real action? This is not what I want for my family.”
One local noted: “So much for the government cracking down on crime. Truly enough is enough.”
“Someone tell me again how the NT justice system is working to prevent crime, I’m clearly confused,” another said.
Many slammed the fact that the alleged killer was out on bail – a frequent pattern involved perpetrators of violent crime.
“No consequences for their crimes so they just keep doing it,” one wrote.
“No respect for anyone or anything and when they are jailed [it’s] usually only half of what they deserve.”
Leader’s disappearing video
Hours before the alleged murder, the Chief Minister took to social media to share a glowing video touting her government’s tough stance on crime.
“Crime statistics came out last week and we’re seeing some really good signs,” she said.
But shortly after news broke of the stabbing, Ms Finocchiaro deleted the clip.
Caleb Burke, a Darwin-based union organiser and critic of the Country Liberal Party, slammed the act.
“This is the same Lia Finocchiaro who screamed at [former Labor Chief Minister] Eva Lawler every day about crime. Who said only the CLP could fix it. Who promised action, certainty and security.
“You wanted the job, Lia. Now you’ve got it. You were loud when it suited you, but silent when it counts.”
This morning, Ms Finocchiaro issued a statement conceding locals were fed up with crime.
“People have a right to be angry, heartbroken, frustrated, disappointed, questioning why this is happening when it will stop, and all of those feelings are absolutely valid,” she said.
“I want everyone to support each other. Today, there is going to be a wide range of emotions by our entire community right across the Northern Territory, and people’s emotions will undoubtedly change over the course of the day as well.
“And so, we stand strong together in solidarity around the family, the friends, the immediate community that’s grieving, and the broader Northern Territory community who grieve with them and share their pain.
“We stand together and say enough is enough. And I want to reinforce our commitment to Territorians that everything is on the table, and we will continue to do whatever it takes to make the Territory safe.”
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