A man who allegedly attacked and killed a DJ at a house party on Christmas Day was a young kickboxer known for having a ‘short fuse’.
Chris Bradley was allegedly punched in the head by Javen O’Neill at a home in Byron Bay, before he dropped to the ground and died in front of horrified onlookers.
O’Neill, 24, has since been charged with the murder of Mr Bradley, a prominent local DJ known by as ‘DJ Dad Bod’. The pair knew each other and were Facebook friends.
One witness to the alleged attack on the 28-year-old told police the blows sounded ‘unlike anything I’ve ever heard before’, the NSW Supreme Court heard on Thursday.
Javen O’Neill (pictured) has been charged with the murder of Chris Bradley, who he allegedly punched at a house party in Byron Bay on Christmas Day
Mr Bradley (pictured), a prominent local DJ known by the name ‘DJ Dad Bod’, knew his alleged attacker and was Facebook friends with him
Prosecutor Jason Rafeeq told the court O’Neill was a trained Muay Thai kickboxer with an ‘underlying short fuse’ and three witnesses, including his girlfriend, said they saw him punch Mr Bradley before he collapsed.
The DJ died as a consequence of blunt-force trauma, according to forensic pathologist Professor Timothy Lyons, who performed the post-mortem examination.
But O’Neill’s lawyer, Dennis Miralis, questioned whether illicit drugs Mr Bradley reportedly consumed that night could have contributed to his death.
The lawyer also argued there were issues with the reliability of witnesses who admitted taking drugs.
Mr Miralis said O’Neill’s actions after Mr Bradley collapsed suggested he didn’t have any intent to murder or cause serious injury.
He said O’Neill tried to resuscitate the DJ, saying ‘come on, you can do it’, and later asked paramedics if Mr Bradley could have died from a punch.
However, Justice David Davies said that based on the evidence before him, the Crown’s case was reasonably strong.
Prosecutors told the NSW Supreme Court that Mr Bradley’s (right) alleged attacker was trained as a Muay Thai kickboxer with an ‘underlying short fuse’
O’Neill was refused bail after Justice Davies approved an application by prosecutors, despite his lawyer suggesting another possible cause of death (Pictured is NSW Supreme Court)
The judge said there was evidence O’Neill had anger management issues, was known to binge on alcohol and drugs, and could offend if released on bail.
One witness told police the accused was ‘a beautiful soul but he has another side to him’ while another said: ‘He is a big guy and knows how to hit’.
O’Neill was refused bail after Justice Davies approved an application by prosecutors, despite his lawyer suggesting another possible cause of death.
The kickboxer, who put his head in his hand after the decision was announced by the Justice, is scheduled to reappear in a Lismore court on January 16.
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