Father of slain Yirrkala teen denied bail to attend his son’s funeral for the second time

The father of a teenage boy slain in a violent incident in East Arnhem Land has been denied bail for the second time to attend his son’s funeral.

Relatives of Gerard Bunumbirr Marika leave the Darwin Local Court after he was refused bail to attend to sorry business following the alleged murder of his son in Yirrkala last week. Picture: Glenn Campbell

• Slain Yirrkala teen’s father refused bail to attend sorry business after 16-year-old’s alleged murder
• Yirrkala death: Police charge four men in relation to Yirrkala incident
• ‘Working with both families involved’: Police continue to investigate death of Yirrkala teenager

THE father of a teenage boy slain in a violent incident in East Arnhem Land has been denied bail for the second time to attend his son’s funeral.

Gerard Bunumbirr Marika, 43, appeared in the Darwin Supreme Court on Friday to apply for a review of a decision by Local Court Judge Tanya Fong Lim to deny him bail earlier this week.

Marika has been in prison since January charged with six counts of aggravated assault and causing serious harm in relation to an ongoing dispute between two families in the community of Yirrkala.

Marika’s son, aged 16, was allegedly stabbed to death in the most recent conflict last week. Marika’s lawyer Shane McMaster told the court his client found out about his son’s death while watching the news in prison.

“Obviously it was an extremely distressing situation for him,” he said.

A map of the remote Territory town of Yirrkala. Picture: Google

Mr McMaster said Marika was a senior lawman in his tribe who had a vital role in the sorry business ceremony that is set to take place for his son in Yirrkala.

The court heard the fighting started between two teenage girls from the two families, which grew into a large violent disturbance that also left several people seriously injured.

Mr McMaster said Marika intends to plead not guilty to the charges. “This man should be, in my respectful submission, able to bury his child.”

Marika was denied bail earlier this week because of concerns that his return to the community would reignite tensions between the feuding families.

However, Mr McMaster told the court the other family had recently returned from Yirrkala to their homelands around 200km away.

“That risk in terms of a potential flare-up between two family groups is greatly diminished and effectively mitigated, in my submission, by the fact that they’re not there.”

However, Crown prosecutor Mikayla Malone told the court local police still had some concerns about Marika seeking “payback” from the other family.

She also said that his most recent offending was also committed in the context of the same fighting between families.

In denying Marika’s application, Chief Justice Michael Grant said there was “a real risk” that Marika could seek out people involved if released on bail.

Mr McMaster told the NT News after the hearing that he intends to bring the matter back before the court to be reconsidered early next week.

Follow @MsSarahMatthews