Fresh charges laid against Zachary Rolfe over Yuendumu shooting just three weeks out from trial

Fresh charges have been laid against NT police officer Zachary Rolfe over the death of Indigenous man Kumanjayi Walker just three weeks out from his murder trial.

Fresh charges have been laid against NT police officer Zachary Rolfe over the death of Indigenous man Kumanjayi Walker just three weeks out from his murder trial. Picture: Grenville Turner

FRESH charges have been laid against NT police officer Zachary Rolfe over the death of Indigenous man Kumanjayi Walker just three weeks out from his murder trial.

Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions, Jack Karczewski QC, on Friday tendered two fresh indictments against Constable Rolfe to the Supreme Court in Darwin, according to The Australian.

In addition to the original murder charge, which Constable Rolfe intends to fight in next month’s trial, he is now facing two alternative charges of manslaughter and violent act causing death.

The indictment states the first alternative to the murder charge is that Rolfe “engaged in conduct that caused the death of (Kumanjayi) Walker, being reckless or negligent as to causing the death of (Kumanjayi) Walker”.

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Further, the DPP charges that as an alternative to those two counts, Rolfe “engaged in conduct involving a violent act, to (Kumanjayi) Walker, namely discharging a firearm, and that conduct caused the death of (Kumanjayi) Walker”.

The fresh charges have been slammed by the NT Police Association.

NTPA president Paul McCue said: “With just a few weeks remaining prior to the commencement of the trial, the DPP has decided the time is right to lay additional charges. This may well be par for the course, but it smacks of nothing but desperation”.

He said the NTPA, Constable Rolfe and his family were ready for the trial to begin and see justice prevail.

Constable Rolfe fatally shot Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu, 300km northwest of Alice Springs, in November 2019.

Constable Rolfe, who remains on bail in Canberra, has indicated he intends to plead not guilty when the trial commences on July 19.

There will be one week of legal argument before a 12-person jury is sworn in.

Constable Rolfe’s counsel, David Edwardson QC, confirmed the additional charges on Saturday morning.