Bibbulmun track attack: Attempted murder charge dropped

Prosecutors have dropped an attempted murder charge against a man who attacked a Finnish couple on the Bibbulmun Track in Perth’s hills.

Matt Whittaker was charged with attempted murder after he launched a terrifying, random attack on a man and a woman from Finland as they walked along the track in Paulls Valley in July.

The charge was dropped when Whittaker appeared in Stirling Gardens Magistrate’s Court this morning and he instead pleaded guilty to two counts of doing an act likely to endanger safety or lives.

At the time, police said Whittaker used his Mitsubishi Triton to mow down the 33-year-old male engineer from Finland.

The man was thrown on to the bonnet and windscreen and his girlfriend was also hit but escaped the full brunt of the impact.

Police claimed Whittaker got out of the car and hit the injured man with a shovel before turning his attention to the woman.

The woman managed to hit Whittaker before another hiker stopped to help the traumatised couple.

Whittaker is also charged with possessing stolen property, an unlicensed firearm, ammunition and methylamphetamine.

As part of his negotiations with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Whittaker has agreed to plead guilty to the additional charges.

Whittaker’s lawyer has requested pre-sentence and psychological reports ahead of his next appearance in the District Court in April.

Originally published as Bibbulmun track attack: Attempted murder charge dropped

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