Rian Farrell wants murder charge downgraded to manslaughter over Liam Cahill death at Airbnb party
A man accused of killing young tradesman Liam Cahill during a wild Airbnb party wants his murder charge downgraded to manslaughter.
Police & Courts
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A man accused of killing young tradesman Liam Cahill during a wild Airbnb party wants his murder charge downgraded to manslaughter.
Rian Farrell, 22, faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via videolink from prison on Monday charged with the stabbing death of Mr Cahill in a Docklands high-rise apartment on May 30.
Defence barrister Sam Norton asked the court for a four-week adjournment to allow him to make submissions to the prosecution to drop the murder charge.
“If the murder charge is to be withdrawn we will proceed to fast-track to the Supreme Court,” Mr Norton said.
But if negotiations hit a stalemate, Mr Norton said they would then apply to a magistrate to assess the merits of the charge and have it struck out.
He did not indicate if Mr Farrell planned to plead guilty or not guilty.
Mr Farrell, from Newport, sat quietly throughout the hearing.
In June, on his first appearance in court, he cried in the dock before slamming the security screen and trying to hold onto the door frame when being removed by custody officers.
Police were called to the M Docklands apartment building at 677 La Trobe St about 11pm on the Saturday after Mr Cahill’s body was found on the 15th floor.
The apprentice plumber was celebrating a friend’s birthday when he was allegedly stabbed.
Mr Farrell’s case will return before magistrate Donna Bakos on September 21.
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