A 21-year-old man accused of causing the death of prominent Labor strategist Tim Picton following an alleged assault outside a Perth nightclub will stand trial in the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
Brodie Dewar formally pleaded not guilty to manslaughter when he appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday. He is accused of unlawfully killing the 36-year-old political strategist after an incident outside a Perth nightclub in the early hours of December 27, 2025.
Prosecutors allege Mr Dewar struck Mr Picton during what has been described as a one-punch incident. Mr Picton suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where doctors placed him in an induced coma.
Legal
Despite receiving medical treatment, his condition remained critical and he died several weeks after the alleged attack.
During Monday’s court appearance, Justice Joseph McGrath scheduled the case for a 10-day trial, which is due to begin on July 20, 2027.
Mr Dewar is expected to contest the manslaughter charge throughout the trial. The allegations against him have not been proven, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until found guilty by a court.
Mr Picton was a well-known figure within Australian Labor politics and had worked across several states during his political career.
He previously served as president of South Australian Young Labor and worked with senior federal Labor politicians including Amanda Rishworth and Don Farrell.
He later worked in the office of former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews before relocating to Western Australia, where he became an influential figure within the state’s Labor political operation.
Violent Crime
Mr Picton was widely credited with making an important contribution to former Western Australian premier Mark McGowan’s landslide 2021 state election victory, which delivered Labor an overwhelming parliamentary majority.
He was also the brother of South Australian State Development Minister Chris Picton.
Mr Picton’s death prompted tributes from political figures and colleagues who remembered his contribution to the Labor movement and his work behind several major election campaigns.
The case will now proceed toward trial, with the Supreme Court expected to hear evidence surrounding the circumstances of the alleged nightclub incident and Mr Picton’s subsequent death.
