Woman keen to face tribal law

An Aboriginal woman who has admitted the stabbing death of her niece in a drunken fight in a remote Goldfields community is eager to serve her prison time so can be released to face traditional punishment, a Perth court was told yesterday.

Laverton woman Rita Holland, 38, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to manslaughter over the death of her 22-year-old niece at the Wonganarra Aboriginal Community in January last year.

The court was told the victim initiated the physical, alcohol-fuelled fight and Holland stabbed her after her daughter brought her a knife.

She aimed for her niece’s shoulder, but stabbed her in the neck, cutting her jugular vein, the court heard.

The victim died later in hospital in Laverton.

State prosecutor Amanda Forrester said Holland was caught by police while she was being chased by an armed group of the victim’s family and fully confessed to the crime.