Griffith youths accused of killing 'stranger'

TO the two 15-year-old boys accused of murdering Andrew Farrugia, the 17-year-old schoolboy was the "perfect stranger".

TO the two 15-year-old boys accused of murdering Andrew Farrugia, the 17-year-old schoolboy was the "perfect stranger".

There was no history of animosity between the trio, a court heard yesterday; indeed, the teenagers had never met Andrew before coming across him at a taxi rank in the NSW Riverina town of Griffith in the early hours of New Year's Day.

But for some as yet unexplained reason, the younger duo are alleged to have begun taunting Andrew and within moments of the verbal exchange, he lay dying on the town's main street as up to 60 horrified revellers looked on.

"This is how we roll in this town," one of the accused 15-year-olds is said to have boasted to bystanders after twice head-butting Andrew.

The other accused boy is alleged to have twice king-hit Andrew in thehead from behind after he was head-butted.

The two 15-year-olds appeared in Wagga Wagga Children's Court yesterday as Andrew's schoolfriends at Marian Catholic College held a memorial service.

The death of the popular student, who would have started Year 12 this year, has left Griffith asking questions about the growing incidence of late-night violence on itsstreets amid whispers of racial disharmony within the multicultural town.

But yesterday's court appearance of the two boys charged with Andrew's murder was short on answers.

Rather, it had the sense of not one wasted young life, but three.

The two accused - one with his head bowed, the other with eyes nervously darting around the packed courtroom - sat handcuffed throughout the 90-minute hearing.

More than a dozen family members of the boys looked on as the court was told that the prosecution case against the accused was strong.

In the police summary read to the court, it was alleged that the accused had acted in an aggressive manner towards Andrew, who, according to magistrate Peter Dare, "was to them at the time a perfect stranger".

Witnesses reported hearing a loudcracking noise when Andrew was king-hit the second time, the court heard.

In refusing the boys' application for bail, Mr Dare said he was concerned by reports there had already been allegations by some of the witnesses that they "would be got to".

Nadine Miles, acting for one of the accused, acknowledged that "murder was the most serious charge in the criminal calendar".

But she said the delay in the matter returning to court, the fact the boys had voluntarily given themselves up to police, and the strict curfew conditions that would be imposed, warranted their release on bail.

Mr Dare disagreed, saying that on the evidence before him, it was reasonable to believe that the accused had committed the crime.