The house of the man charged over the death of 14-year-old Aboriginal boy Elijah Doughty has been burnt down in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia overnight.
The house of the 55-year-old man, whose name has been suppressed by the court, was completely destroyed by fire on Thursday.
"Around 6:30p.m. on 15 September, emergency services were called to a fire at a house on Watts Close in South Kalgoorlie," A spokesperson for the WA police told BuzzFeed News.
"The house and contents were completely destroyed, valued at around $250,000."
Police confirmed the fire is being treated as suspicious. No-one has been charged.
Tjuma Pulka 96.3 FM, Kalgoorlie's local Aboriginal radio station, has been reporting on the incident and posted photos of the house burning last night on its Facebook page.
Police questioned members of Doughty's family about the fire and Tjuma Pulka 96.3 FM has reported that while the house was burning three cars, driven by non-Indigenous people, drove through the site where a vigil and mourning camp for Doughty is located, menacing Aboriginal community members.
The situation in Kalgoorlie has been tense since Doughty was found dead in bushland near Kalgoorlie last month. The accused is charged with manslaughter after he allegedly struck the aspiring football player with his ute while the boy was riding a motorbike.
Frustration and anger from the local Aboriginal community boiled over at the accused initial court appearance and hundreds of people took to the streets in protest, overwhelming police and smashing windows at the court.