According to various news agencies, an Australian man who went by the name “Harry Potter” on social media has been charged with the murder of a teenage boy who purportedly asked for a ride home.
Jacob Greig, 32, was arrested and charged with murder after arriving at the Narellan Police Station on Saturday, Nov. 9, after officials issued a public call for information, according to The New Zealand Herald, News.com.au, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
According to a news release, officers were dispatched to bushland off a road in Wilton, New South Wales, at approximately 7:25 a.m. on November 9 after the body of a 15-year-old boy was discovered.
According to court documents obtained by The Herald, police think Grieg fatally stabbed the youngster during an altercation that occurred between 10 and 10:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8.
Grieg appeared in court remotely on Sunday, November 10. Prosecutors said the youngster, whose name has been suppressed by authorities, attempted to rip the handle off Grieg’s car, saying in footage and audio released in court that he was “trying to get home,” according to ABC.
Greig, who was in the area of Maldon Weir with a companion in the car, allegedly got out and began chasing the teenager, according to News.com.au. According to the source, Grieg can be heard in the footage purportedly telling the boy, ‘I’ll f—— get you good.
The kid then allegedly knocked Grieg’s glasses off in a tussle, during which Grieg allegedly yelled, “I’m going to chop your f—— hand off,” prosecutors stated in court, according to News.com.au.
According to The Herald, Grieg told police that he slashed the youngster with a knife before returning to the car. The suspect told authorities that the teen was “bleeding profusely,” according to the site.
The victim then climbed onto the roof of Grieg’s moving car as it fled the scene and fell off, according to prosecutors in court. According to the outlet, prosecutors claimed that the boy was left to die after leaving a long trail of blood at the crime scene.
Grieg’s counsel claimed that it is unclear if the teen’s death was caused by the slash or injuries from the fall, and that his client should be freed to home detention. It is unknown whether Grieg has entered a plea.
Grieg’s Facebook profile indicates that he works as a chef, has children, and goes by the nickname “Harry Potter,” after a fictional character in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series of novels.
Grieg was denied bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on January 9, 2025, according to ABC.