Jeremy Cooper murder trial to hear from family of 36-year-old Wadeye man
Loved ones who watched a Wadeye man bleed out on a Darwin street will share their stories in a lengthy Supreme Court murder trial.
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Loved ones who watched a Wadeye man bleed out on a Darwin street will share their stories in a lengthy Supreme Court murder trial.
On Friday, Justice Meredith Huntingford heard that Murrinh-patha translators would be required in the three-week murder trial of Jeremy Cooper.
Mr Cooper has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a 36-year-old Wadeye man near the Darwin city Woolworths, which occurred just after midnight on Saturday September 16, 2023.
It has been alleged the incident was sparked after the 28-year-old got into an argument with the deceased man’s brothers.
CCTV footage allegedly showed a man in a black t-shirt and Adidas shorts running down Cavenagh St, with the victim trying to stop his path.
The Wadeye man was allegedly stabbed in the torso with a knife, and passed away in hospital.
Mr Cooper has previously denied he was the man captured in the CCTV footage.
He was arrested 60 hours after the alleged fatal stabbing, and charged with murder.
On Friday prosecutor Tamara Grealy said the lengthy trial was needed as the jury would need to assess “a lot of circumstantial evidence” around identifying who was on the CCTV.
Ms Grealy also flagged her concerns that the trial would require the use of Murapathat translators for the deceased man’s family.
“(This) may present a problem, it has in the past,” she said.
The latest Chief Minister and Cabinet annual report flagged there were ongoing challenges in completing all translation jobs due to interpreter availability, stating a revitalisation of the service a “priority” for 2024-25.
Defence Barrister Brooke Houen said while Mr Cooper’s legal aid application was “technically terminated”, she anticipated his funding would be restored, given Thursday’s announcement of a $3.9m boost to the service.
Justice Huntingford adjourned the matter to January 13 for a further pre-trial hearing ahead of the anticipated July trial.
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