Bar Beach murder trial set for March 2027, less than two years after shooting
Two men will face trial for shooting 18-year-old Ekampreet Singh Sahni at Bar Beach in March 2027.
Decklen Deaves-Thornton, 23, and Jack Kennedy, 26, appeared in NSW Supreme Court on Friday and were arraigned on murder charges. Kennedy pleaded not guilty.
Deaves-Thornton pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by unlawful and dangerous act. The Newcastle Herald understands Deaves-Thornton claims the shooting was accidental during a car park confrontation on Memorial Drive about 11.40pm on April 23 last year.
Prosecutors rejected his manslaughter plea. The trial date represents an unusually early hearing for a murder case in the NSW Supreme Court, with only two years between the alleged offence and trial.
The victim's family attended Friday's court appearance.
- 18 years old
- Victim's age
- Bar Beach car park, Memorial Drive
- Incident location
- March 22, 2027
- Trial date
- Two years
- Time between offense and trial
Why it mattersAn unusually fast trial date reflects court priority in serious cases and means answers for the victim's family much sooner than typical.
AustraliaNSW court processes are bringing a murder case to trial in less than two years, faster than most such cases move through the system.
