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March 28th, 2013 
Liam Jurrah pictured during a break in his court proceedings in Alice Springs earlier this month. Picture: Justin Brierty
Source: adelaidenow
FORMER AFL footballer Liam Jurrah has been arrested in Alice Springs over an alleged assault – less than a week after he was found not guilty of attacking a relative with a machete.
Northern Territory police have confirmed they have arrested two men over the alleged assault of three women in the town’s central business district overnight.
It is understood Jurrah, 24, is being questioned over a violent altercation which allegedly occured outside a 24-hour convenience store on Gap Rd about 3am.
No charges have been laid as police are still interviewing witnesses.
The former Melbourne Demons player was meant to appear in an Adelaide court this morning to face domestic violence charges, with a warrant for his arrest due to be issued if he did not show.
Last week Jurrah was found not guilty on a charge of unlawfully causing serious harm to his cousin Basil Jurrah during a family brawl at Little Sisters town camp at Alice Springs in March last year.
Jurrah admitted being present as dozens of people argued and fought in the darkness at the camp but denied he hit his cousin with a machete and insisted in a police interview he was trying to stop the violence.
The brawl was connected with an ongoing “blood feud” between two family groups from Jurrah’s home community of Yuendumu, which involved the fatal stabbing of a man during a “payback” ritual.
It is not known whether the latest allegations of assault are connected to the feud.
This morning’s hearing in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court, which proceeded without Jurrah, heard the aggravated assault charge against him was likely to be withdrawn.
Prosecutors said Jurrah’s alleged victim had signed a form saying she did not wish to proceed with the charge of aggravated assault against a child or spouse.
Jurrah did not attend the hearing as he has apparently remained in the Northern Territory since last week to attend his grandfather’s funeral.
Defence lawyer Joanna Caracoussis told the court Jurrah’s grandfather died late last year and the funeral had been scheduled for last week but had been postponed.
The funeral had been planned for last Thursday – the day the jury returned its not guilty verdict in Jurrah’s assault case against his cousin Basil Jurrah.
Magistrate David McLeod said a warrant for Jurrah’s arrest would lie on the file and the matter would be adjourned to May.
Mr McLeod said he wanted corroboration that the funeral was taking place.
“By the sound of it, he’s probably taking the indulgence of the court in assuming that by simply referring to the fact that he’s attending an Aboriginal funeral then that will somehow give him a free pass,” he said.
“I think it needs to be said that people who appear in this court on an indictable offence turn up …. it’s not up to the defendant to decide whether they will attend or not.”
Mr McLeod said he could understand the necessity of attending the funeral if it was imminent but, if no date had been set, then it seemed “unsatisfactory”.
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