A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder following an alleged axe attack at a remote campground in New South Wales. The victim, a 33-year-old man, died from critical head injuries after being struck at Little Styx River near Ebor.
Emergency services were called to Thora, about 10km north-west of Bellingen, just after midnight on Monday. A 25-year-old woman, a friend of the victim, told police she had also been assaulted and had driven the man from the campground to seek help. She was treated for bruising to her neck.
Police arrested Ahwen Kohn near Ebor before midday on Monday. He has been charged with murder, intentionally choking a person with recklessness, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. At a bail hearing, magistrate Miranda Moody expressed concern about the seriousness of the allegations, noting Kohn had no history of violence.
Superintendent Chris McKinnon said the three people were known to each other and had been camping together. He added that an argument had occurred before the alleged attack, but the cause was unclear. Police believe both the victim and the accused lived in the Thora area.
A crime scene was established at the campground on Point Lookout Road in Ebor, with detectives from the homicide squad assisting under Strike Force Ullmark. Kohn is next scheduled to appear in court in Armidale on 22 April. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
