Bar Beach shooting murder hearing begins in Newcastle

A committal hearing has commenced regarding the fatal shooting of Ekampreet Singh Sahni at Bar Beach. During the proceedings at Newcastle Local Court, a key witness, 19-year-old Ja'Rell Warren De Jong, provided limited information to the prosecution.

De Jong, who was reportedly in the backseat of a stolen Volvo during the incident, stated he could not recall specific details about the night of the shooting. Under questioning by Crown prosecutor Brendan Queenan, De Jong used variations of “don't remember” or “can't recall” more than 50 times.

Despite being presented with documents regarding firearm possession and video footage of himself holding guns, De Jong claimed his vision was blurry and expressed uncertainty regarding the identities of others in the videos. He also provided hesitant responses when asked if he was the individual holding a black pistol, stating, “I guess so. I think. That is what I've signed so, I guess.”