A West Australian man has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of a Kalgoorlie teenager by running him down with his ute, sparking protests.
The 55-year-old man, who cannot be identified, is accused of chasing down 14-year-old Elijah Doughty in his ute and fatally striking the Aboriginal teenager, who was allegedly riding a stolen motorbike in August.
The man appeared in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on Wednesday via video link from an undisclosed location where he pleaded not guilty to manslaughter as upset members of Elijah's family watched on.
Defence counsel Seamus Rafferty said his client offered to plead guilty to the lesser charge of dangerous driving occasioning death, but it was rejected by the prosecution. He said the offer remained.
Prosecutors are seeking for the trial to be held in Perth.
The man is scheduled to appear in the WA Supreme Court in February.
There was a protest outside the Kalgoorlie courthouse when the man first appeared on August 30, with police injured and nearby shops forced to close.
Hundreds of people gathered for what began as a peaceful protest before escalating, with angry people throwing rocks and bottles at cars, buildings and police.
The outburst highlighted the racial tensions in the gold mining town.
