Teenage boy arrested at Melbourne Airport, charged over Reservoir murder

An eighth person has been charged over the alleged murder of Declan Cutler after a 17-year-old boy was arrested at Melbourne Airport.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton described the alleged murder as a ‘horrendous attack’. Picture: David Crosling

Police have charged an eighth person over the alleged murder of teenager Declan Cutler.

Homicide Squad detectives arrested a 17-year-old boy at Melbourne Airport this morning.

He was subsequently interviewed and charged with murder.

The teenager briefly appeared in a Children’s Court just before 1pm where he was formally charged with murder.

The court heard his seven co-accused were charged “some time ago” and were due to face a contested committal hearing in October.

Prosecutors told the court DNA evidence, fingerprint analysis and CCTV footage would form part of the evidence presented at the hearing.

Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg said while the charges were inherently serious, it was “not a complex case” in terms of evidence, and expected the teenager to join his co-accused at the October committal.

The 17-year-old sat silently in the dock as his mother watched on from the body of the courtroom.

He made no application for bail and was remanded in custody to next appear on September 13.

Declan Cutler, 16, was allegedly pursued through the streets and set upon.

Police at the scene of the alleged murder. Picture: David Crosling

Earlier this year Chief Commissioner Shane Patton described the alleged murder as a “horrendous attack”.

Declan was survived by his parents and four younger siblings.

He was killed in the early hours of Sunday, March 13, when he and a group of mates ran off from a confrontation at a party.

Declan was allegedly pursued through the streets and set upon when his pursuers caught up to him in Elizabeth St, Reservoir.

His mother, Sam Cutler, has previously said her son had been involved in a dispute over “a girl”.

She said the fatal attack on her son was “very, very vicious” and involved the assailants “taking their turns on him”.

Declan’s godmother, Kelly Salmon, said the Cutler family had been inundated with support since his death.

“He has more friends than any of us knew,” she said.