Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Two charged over Darwin car park murder
Two men have been charged with murder after a 20-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the car park of a Darwin shopping centre.
May 28, 2021
Two men have been charged with murder after another man was fatally stabbed outside a Darwin shopping centre late at night.
Peter and Matthew Gardiner, aged 20 and 26, briefly appeared in the Northern Territory Local Court in Darwin on Friday.
Both men were charged with murder after a 20-year-old man was attacked in the car park of the Karama Shopping Plaza about 11pm on Wednesday.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital.
Mathew Gardiner was also charged with attempted murder after a 25-year-old woman was stabbed at a nearby home less than an hour after the shopping centre attack.
She remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition after suffering multiple significant injuries to her stomach.
An ‘edged weapon’ is believed to have been used in the attacks.
“It is a terrible incident to occur in Karama and two stabbings on the same night in separate locations is very serious,” Detective Senior Sergeant Jakson Evans said on Thursday.
The dead man had been standing with friends when the two men accused of his murder allegedly pulled up beside the group in a dark-coloured 4WD.
“One of the males from the SUV stabbed the victim a number of times,” Det Snr Sgt Evans said.
“The victim was able to run away and both males left the area.”
Security guards spotted the stabbed man a short distance away and called paramedics.
Both men were remanded in custody to reappear in the same court on July 21.