Territory rapper Yung Milla fights allegations of random attack on Kalen Rajak in Darwin city

The Darwin Local Court has heard from a man alleging he was attacked “out of nowhere” by Territory rappers Yung Milla and J-Milla on a drunken night out. Read what happened.

Darwin-born hip hop star J-Milla has described “seeing red” as he ran to help his younger brother in an alleged late night Mitchell St assault.

J-Milla’s younger brother Levi Colin Nichaloff, also known as rapper Yung Milla, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault and property damage over the 2021 incident.

Called to give evidence at a Darwin Local Court hearing, J-Milla said he had one foot in a taxi to go home when he spotted his then 18-year-old brother over the street “scuffling” with alleged victim Kalen Rajak.

“It was kind of a wrestle thing, then Kalen punches Levi in the head and then I run over,” he said.

J-Milla said he started throwing punches at Mr Rajak, admitting it was “not a fair fight” with two against one.

“Just seeing red, to be honest, as an older brother ... I was concerned,” he said.

J-Milla said he joined the alleged fight after seeing his brother ‘punched in the head’. Picture: Jason Walls

J-Milla said Mr Rajak had been throwing punches, acting aggressively and “came back for more” after the alleged fight was broken up by witness Bonita Dougherty, but conceded he had not seen who started the altercation.

Earlier on Tuesday the court heard from Mr Rajak and Ms Dougherty who both alleged Yung Milla had attacked unprovoked.

Prosecution and defence disagreed on when Mr Rajak’s shirt had come off - Mr Rajak and Ms Dougherty said he lost it during the fight, but J-Milla remembered him shirtless from the start.

“That’s when I knew it was a real problem and a real fight, and that’s when I felt like ‘okay, far out, I’ve gotta do something here’ - just because the shirt was off,” J-Milla said.

Yung Milla is due to give evidence when the hearing resumes early next year.

Earlier: Rapper Yung Milla fights allegations of random attack on stranger

Rising rap star Yung Milla is fighting charges he randomly attacked a stranger in a drunken punch up on a night out in Darwin city.

His brother, rapper J-Milla, narrowly escaped conviction after pleading guilty to aggravated assault over the same incident, which occurred on Mitchell St in the early hours of August 15, 2021.

Rapper Yung Milla, AKA Levi Colin Nichaloff faces the Darwin Local Court charged with aggravated assault. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Alleged victim Kalen Wayne Rajak, 23, gave his version of events in a hearing at the Darwin Local Court on Tuesday, telling the court the incident left him with painful injuries and bruises, broken glasses and jeans, and a sprained ankle that required crutches for a week.

Mr Rajak said he was heading toward Opium nightclub past Crocosaurus Cove with his friend, Bonita Dougherty, when she ran into two men and began arguing with one of them – the court heard it was her cousin’s boyfriend whom she had seen dancing with another woman.

Mr Rajak said he did not know who the other man was at the time, but later alleged it was Yung Milla – the stage name of 20-year-old Levi Colin Nichaloff.

He said he heard Ms Dougherty, 25, becoming “more confrontational and heightened”, so approached the trio to “grab her to keep moving” when Yung Milla punched him “out of nowhere”.

“I pretty much got punched in the face as soon as I got there,” Mr Rajak said.

He alleged that after about 20 seconds of wrestling with Yung Milla, J-Milla – Jacob Kolya Nichaloff Jnr – joined the fray.

“I just remember being punched by two people at the same time,” he said.

J-Milla and Yung Milla. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Under cross examination, Mr Rajak conceded his police statements from the time did not mention a punch being thrown out of nowhere and that punches were “being thrown everywhere”.

Defence lawyer Bryce Wilson suggested Mr Rajak had walked into Yung Milla’s personal space and refused to back off when asked and pushed.

“I would suggest to you that you cannot remember what happened and you’re making it up today,” Mr Wilson said.

Mr Rajak denied this version of events.

Yung Milla denied the allegations.

The court also heard from Ms Dougherty, who said she was engrossed in her argument but recalled Yung Milla looking past her toward Mr Rajak before he allegedly “charged forward” and started hitting him.

She did not remember any words or shoving exchanged between the pair.

“Kalen was defending himself, he was hunched over trying to block the hits,” Ms Dougherty said, telling the court she stepped in between to try break up the alleged fight.

“It wasn’t that long when Levi (Yung Milla) was hitting Kalen that Jacob (J-Milla) jumped in … they were both standing with each other and hitting Kalen, going around him and hitting him.”

Ms Dougherty said she believed Mr Rajak was “very, very intoxicated” at the time.

The court is expected to hear more evidence on Tuesday afternoon as the hearing continues.