Man fined $600 for role in violent family feud which led to liquor bans in Meekatharra

A man has been fined $600 for his role in a violent family feud which resulted in liquor restrictions being rolled out in Meekatharra last year. Desmond Henry James Walsh on Thursday appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to fighting in public causing fear and several other unrelated stealing and burglary charges. The court was told the 21-year-old was a member of one of two families involved in the feud in Meekatharra, with Walsh seen fighting with his shirt off during a big brawl or “melee” in July. Additional police were sent to respond to feud-related violence and a temporary ban on takeaway alcohol was imposed. Walsh’s lawyer said the man’s mother was moving to Geraldton to support her son and help him access counselling for alcohol abuse issues. Magistrate Angus Hockton said the fighting would have caused “serious distress” to the community and fined Walsh $600 for his role in the incident. Walsh will appear in the same court on September 14 on other matters.