WA: Murder charge may be laid over fatal brawl

22nd July 2008

A murder charge may be laid over a fatal Lockridge brawl that resulted in the death of Maori teenager Jon Warena last November.

The District Court was today told that a charge may be upgraded to murder for at least one of four Aboriginal males charged over the incident.

November 07, 2007

WA police have moved to allay fears of a race feud following the death of an 18-year-old Maori man after a savage brawl in Lockridge yesterday.

A 24-year-old and a 29-year-old, both Maori men, are recovering in hospital from serious injuries.

Superintendent Graeme Castlehow said the vicious fight between up to 20 Aboriginal and Maori men was not an indication of a wider racial rift.

The West Australian newspaper claims 60 Maori gathered with weapons yesterday to plan retaliation for the death of 18-year-old Jon Warena, who was in Perth on holiday and due to return home to Turangi this week.

"A deadly race war that erupted in suburban Lockridge has brought warnings of brutal revenge after long-simmering tensions between Aboriginals and Maori sparked a wild street battle which left a New Zealand man dead," the West Australian newspaper said.