‘Violent and senseless’: Calls for nighttime safety review after death of Labor figure Tim Picton in WA
WA Premier Roger Cook has claimed nothing is off the table to keep people safe in entertainment venues following the “violent and senseless” death of Labor leader Tim Picton.
Mr Picton died after being in hospital in a critical condition for weeks following an alleged one-punch attack outside a nightclub in Northbridge early on December 27.
Brodie Jake Dewar, 20, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm in connection with the incident in which Mr Picton was alleged to have collapsed.
Mr Picton, 36, played a key role in WA Labor’s 2021 state election campaign, helping deliver a landslide victory and most recently served as director of strategy at mining company Mineral Resources.
On Tuesday, Mr Cook paid tribute to him, saying he died in “appalling circumstances”.
“I think everyone should take this opportunity to think about how we can continue to make Western Australia a peaceful place to live,” Mr Cook said.
“How can we make sure we all take the opportunity to look out for each other?
“Tim lost his life in a violent and senseless act and as a result young Charlotte will now wonder what happened to her father.
“Priya lost her best friend and of course Fiona and Michael lost their son.
“So I want to offer my absolute condolences and deepest condolences on behalf of everyone.”
Mr Cook said Western Australia’s one-punch laws were already very strict and strict, but the government would seek advice from police and other agencies on what more could be done to keep people safe in night entertainment areas.
The Prime Minister said entertainment district legislation in 2022 banning violent or anti-social people from entering nightclubs was an important measure to keep people safe, but they could look at how people dispersed in the evenings to make it safer.
“I understand that people want to go out and celebrate, party, be a part of our great, vibrant nightlife economy, but we also have to make sure we keep people safe,” he said.
“When you take a cocktail of alcohol and night activities, especially in the early morning hours, they can lead to dangerous situations.
“We are very open to advice from the police and others on how we can make entertainment areas safer.”
Police minister Reece Whitby said the message to everyone was that one-punch attacks could be devastating.
“This can change your life, but it can also change the life of the person on the other end, with devastating consequences for both the defendant and the victim,” he said.
“There are lives that will never be the same because of one moment, one split-second decision to attack someone, and that is truly heartbreaking.
“Let everyone… think about what this means and think again when you get caught… there is no excuse for this.”
