Cairns police to push for murder charge over stolen car death
Police prosecutors have told a court they intend to push for a man's charge over a fatal Far North Queensland crash to be upgraded from manslaughter to murder.
A man in Cairns, Jake Edward Warn, faces the possibility of a murder charge following a fatal crash in which he allegedly drove a stolen vehicle and killed 25-year-old Savannah Paige. Warn, 36, appeared at Cairns Magistrates Court on five charges, including manslaughter. Police claim Warn was driving the stolen car when it collided with two other vehicles on the Smithfield Bypass on Wednesday, resulting in Paige's death.
During a hearing, Senior Sergeant Maynard Marcum stated that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) might consider upgrading the charge from manslaughter to murder. He explained that the evidence suggests a more serious charge is warranted. Warn allegedly attempted to steal firearms from two police officers while in custody at the hospital following the crash.
He was arrested less than an hour later near Manoora, and his lawyer, Luke Parrish, did not request bail.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
