A man has been charged with murder after a violent alleged brawl between two feuding indigenous families on a Northern Territory highway left one man dead and at least three other people injured.
Northern Territory Police said on Thursday they had charged a 21-year-old man over a “fatal pedestrian strike” in Timber Creek on Monday night, where police allege a large group, some armed with “edged weapons” were fighting along the Victoria Highway at about 8.50pm.
Police allege the man drove a vehicle dangerously through the area, striking and killing a 27-year-old man, while a 16-year-old male and 65-year-old female were allegedly assaulted with an edged weapon and remain in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Another man, 24, suffered minor injuries from being assaulted.
Locals told the Daily Mail the fight was between members of the Myatt and Gilwi indigenous communities, and was sparked by competition over local service work contracts.
One Gilwi woman said her mother-in-law, 65, son, 24, and nephew, 16, had suffered stab and slash wounds from a machete during the wild brawl.
She said members of her community work for the council while members of the Myatt clan are employed by a private company, with both doing similar road and mowing jobs, and that an ongoing conflict had intensified in the days before the fatal alleged clash.
“There are fights every day. Sometimes it is ok, sometimes it isn’t. When fights break out at the pub, sometimes they pull out weapons. Machetes, bow and arrows. And other weapons like knives and boomerangs,” she said.
“A bow and arrow got pulled on Saturday and then that incident happened on Monday. At the time of the fight on Monday, it was closing time (at the local pub) and there were three or four kids (around). The bartender had to keep them inside to keep them safe.”
She said her community of about 20 people, located about 20km southeast of Timber Creek, were now living in fear of revenge attacks from the 30 or so members of the Myatt clan, who live 5km east of the town.
“We are scared there will be more violence. This thing is not going to stop from now on because that young fella passed away,” she said.
The brawl caused the highway to be shut down, sparking complaints from locals in the surrounding area.
“There are at least 12 triple road trains loaded with freight that is now a day late, a Greyhound bus with passengers and I wouldn’t know how many cars are there,” one frustrated man said.
“There is probably the same or more at the other end of the roadblock. This is all caused by people who wanted a Voice. What a joke. It is now 4.30pm on Tuesday and still no signs of the roadblock opening.”
The highway eventually reopened at 8.15pm, NT Police said.
Header image: The Victoria Highway at Timber Creek (Google Street View).
