Ezekiel Narndu, 19, sentenced to seven years in prison for Wadeye riots manslaughter

‘He asks when he’s coming home’: The heartbreak of a family left behind has been revealed during the sentencing of the Wadeye teen found guilty of manslaughter. Read the judge’s decision.

The teen who killed a man during unrest in Wadeye has been sentenced to seven years in prison, after his lengthy trial concluded at Darwin Supreme Court on Thursday.

Ezekiel Narndu, 19, was found guilty of manslaughter after throwing a steel bar that pierced through the skull of a 33-year-old man referred to as Mr Tcherna in the remote West Daly community on April 16 last year.

In sentencing Acting Justice Graham Hiley read parts of a victim impact statement from Mr Tcherna’s wife, which described the pain felt by her and their three children aged 4, 7 and 9.

Mr Tcherna used to get the kids ready for school each morning, and since his death they often found it “too hard to go back to school”.

“The kids are missing him a lot,” the statement read.

“(The youngest) often looks at videos of his father on the phone and will kiss him on the screen, asking when he’s coming home.”

Justice Hiley found Narndu’s actions were “grossly negligent”, but did not meet the more serious threshold for reckless offending.

“While there may be a substantial risk for weapons like guns, arrows, spears and knives used at close quarters … could result in death, the same cannot be said about a steel bar with blunt ends,” he said.

Wadeye man Ezekiel Narndu was sentenced to seven years in prison for the manslaughter of Mr Tcherna.

Justice Hiley said rocks, louvres and steel bars were commonly thrown during violent outbursts in Wadeye without fatal consequences, but Narndu “should have known” his actions carried a “strong risk” of causing serious injury.

“You had no regard to public safety and seemed to be motivated by hate against members of other gangs and family.”

It was during an attempt at mediation between four families, including the Narndus, that the violence broke out.

The then 18-year-old Narndu picked up a steel bar about 60cm long, throwing it like a javelin in the direction of Mr Tcherna, who was standing to the side of the chaos.

It was believed Mr Tcherna never saw it coming – the bar piercing 16cm through his skull and knocking him unconscious immediately.

Narndu then chased after another man, Cedrick Bunduck, assaulting him and causing minor injuries.

Justice Hiley said it was “a particularly difficult sentencing process” as Narndu “was otherwise an exemplary character and potential leader of Aboriginal people within the society of Wadeye”.

“Sadly, this is one of the tragic consequences of ongoing conflict between gangs and family groups of Wadeye that has been going on for many years,” he said.

Narndu was sentenced to seven years in prison from June 15 last year, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.

MAY 22: Man guilty of manslaughter is hope for Wadeye’s future, hears court

The Wadeye teen who killed a man by throwing a steel bar through his skull was an emerging leader of the community who was a “force for change”, a court has heard.

Ezekiel Narndu, 19, was found guilty of reckless or negligent manslaughter earlier this month after causing the death of a 33-year-old man, known for cultural reasons as Mr Tcherna, in Wadeye on April 16, 2022.

In sentencing submissions at Darwin Supreme Court on Monday, both prosecution and defence lawyers spoke of Narndu’s prospects as a positive role model in the community often characterised by disadvantage, violence and gang activity.

In 2020 Ezekiel Narndu was one of seven who graduated high school at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College in Wadeye, the first cohort to graduate high school in the community in 13 years. Picture: Courtney Davies

Narndu graduated Year 12 in 2020, one of a group of seven who were the first to complete high school in Wadeye in 13 years.

The middle child of five boys, he was close with his family. The seven of them shared a two bedroom home where Narndu’s parents always made sure there was power on and food stocked in the fridge.

Narndu was a non-drinker and was working as a teacher’s aide coaching football at the local school, loved by students and teachers alike.

Crown prosecutor Steve Ledek said it was “very difficult” to put forward submissions for a man charged with “one of the most serious crimes” knowing the hopes that had been held for his future.

“There were expectations that a man with his obvious personality of calmness, care, consideration, and education … was going to change the way the community empower itself, give itself opportunities and be a force for change to the things that the community knew were endemically creating disharmony, chaos, disruption, and grief,” Mr Ledek said.

Defence lawyer Beth Wild said the offending was “very much a departure from character”, arguing Narndu had strong prospects for rehabilitation if he received a light sentence.

“It’s actually in the community’s interest to ensure that he doesn’t become a hardened criminal at Holtze correctional facility, that we let him back to the path that he was set upon before this tragic event occurred,” Ms Wild said.

Ezekial Narndu’s offending was described as “very much a departure from character”. Picture: Courtney Davies

During Narndu’s eight day trial it was revealed the then 18-year-old had been in a crowd of 150 people who were observing an attempt to mediate ongoing unrest between four family groups.

The Narndu family – one of the groups involved – was leading the peace talks, but were disrupted when a young man charged at two police officers with an axe.

Police were forced to retreat and chaos erupted, Narndu entering the fray and lobbing a steel rebar 30m through the air where it tragically speared Mr Tcherna through the face.

Prosecution argued Narndu’s actions were reckless and he threw the bar at Mr Tcherna knowing death was a possibility.

Defence have argued the bar was thrown randomly into the crowd as an act of “posturing”, and the death was an “incredibly unlucky” outcome from Narndu’s negligence.

Narndu will be sentenced on Thursday.