Australian police charge driver over Ryan Doyle death

Ryan Doyle had been working in Australia for a number of years

Police in Australia have charged a taxi driver over the death of a man from County Down.

Ryan Doyle, 25, from Leitrim, just outside Castlewellan, died in what Western Australian Police described as a road crash.

Police said they believed there had been an argument between Mr Doyle and a taxi driver early on Monday morning.

The driver is to appear in court in Perth on 18 December charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

He is also charged with failing to stop and render assistance, and failure to report the incident.

In a statement the police said they were told Mr Doyle was lying on the road in Leake Street, Belmont, at about 03:00 GMT.

"It will be alleged there had been a dispute between the victim and the driver over the fare and as the passenger was exiting the vehicle the driver accelerated the vehicle, causing the passenger to fall to the ground where he received life-threatening injuries," the statement said.

"He was taken to Royal Perth Hospital where he later died as a result of the injuries he received."

Mr Doyle had been working in Australia for a number of years.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin is providing consular assistance to his family.