A MAN has been charged with murder on the same day he celebrated his 43rd birthday following a scuffle involving two other men in Corowa.
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He made a brief appearance in Albury Court on Sunday and was refused bail.
Police allege the man produced a baseball bat and fatally struck a 41-year-old man who died in Corowa hospital following the early afternoon incident in Vera Street on Saturday.
The dead man, Christopher Quirk, also suffered stab wounds in the fight which took place around 12.05pm.
Police allege the 43-year-old intervened when Quirk and a 33-year-old man both carrying knives were involved in an altercation.
The 33-year-old man was also taken to Corowa hospital and treated for stab wounds and internal bleeding before later being transported to Albury hospital.
He is understood to be in a serious condition after initially being given a critical diagnosis.
Police confirmed the parties were known to each other.
The Border Mail understands they all lived in Corowa and were known to police in relation to drug matters.
In 2008, Quirk led police on an hour-long chase ending in a Murray River swim
The daughter of an elderly woman who lives across the road witnessed police make the arrest about 1pm.
“There were a couple police officers with him, he had no shirt on and was taken away in handcuffs,” she said.
“My mum’s really scared – she moved here to be closer to town – but the police are there at least once a week.”
She said her mother’s insurance had risen, and a house on the corner of Vera and Walker streets had been for sale for the 12 months her mother had been living on the street.
“The first section of the street is okay,” she said.
“She kept ringing me when things were happening, so we installed a safety button that she can press for help.
“We’ll be putting her house on the market.”
Federation Council deputy mayor and Corowa resident Shaun Whitechurch said the town was stunned by the events on Saturday.
“You never think something like this will happen in a place like Corowa,” he said.
“But it shows we’re not immune to the goings on in the real world.”
NSW police still had the Vera Street crime scene, established between Walker Street and McDonald Avenue, cordoned off on Sunday.
A Honda CR-V with Victorian registration was towed away by police late on Saturday afternoon.
