Busking is an interesting artform, for some it can be an incredibly nerve racking experience and for others it can be insanely rewarding.
But for one group of Aussie musicians, their performance turned from nerve racking to pure terror in the space of a few seconds.
Tim Everett and his bandmate in popular busking act Mojo Bluesman were performing at 1.40am on Sunday morning on busy Horton Street, Port Macquarie, in front of late night revellers.
A 25-year-old man and father-of-two, Charlie Farmer, was allegedly celebrating the birth of his friend’s baby in the Port Macquarie CBD and was with a friend, when two other men watching the performance began shouting profanities at the pair.
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“One of the them said words to the effect of ‘what’s your f…ing problem? What are you looking at?,” said bass player and witness Tim Everett. “They followed them and a scuffle broke out, then one of them dropped to the ground. I went over to him and he was bleeding heavily.”
Police have alleged that a 16-year-old boy attacked Farmer, stabbing the 25-year-old man in the chest several times before driving off in a ute with a friend.
Witnesses called emergency services and tried to help the victim. Paramedics arrived on a scene ashore time later and attempted to treat the man, however he died at Port Macquarie hospital two hours later.
Everett told the Courier Mail that the band continued playing music during the fight in a futile attempt to keep the situation calm and distract the crowd from the ensuing chaos, but stopped once they released just how seriously injured Farmer was.
“It’s so tragic, I’m just numb. It hasn’t quite hit me yet. We’ve been busking for eight years. I’ve never seen someone stabbed in front of me.”
Later that day, an 18-year-old man, James Deeth, handed himself into police and was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder. He is alleged to have helped the 16-year-old attacker flee the scene of the crime, and destroy his clothing.
The 16-year-old was arrested a short time later and has now been charged with murder. Both faced Children’s court on Monday where the younger boy was refused bail. The 18-year-old was granted conditional bail but was to remain behind bars subject to a prosecution appeal.
Both matters were adjourned until November.
Port Macquarie detectives conducted search warrants at two premises in Dondingalong and South Kempsey where they seized a red Ford ute and other items for forensic examination.
