A woman has been charged in relation to the murder of ‘Danny the Serb’ in Balmain

Strike Force Dears detectives executed a search warrant at an address in Punchbowl at 6am this morning, where they arrested a 23-year-old woman.

She was taken to Campsie Police Station where she was charged with hinder investigation serious indictable offence of other.

The woman was granted conditional bail to appear before Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday,  January 17 2023.

Police will allege in court the woman was responsible for purchasing jerry cans of petrol used to set fire to the white jeep used by the men who allegedly killed Danny the Serb.

Two months ago Masei Tavui, who has played in the Harold Matthews and SG Ball competitions in recent years, was arrested over the alleged killing of Dejan “Danny the Serb” Radulovic.

Police sources said it would be alleged a dispute over drugs led to Tavui murdering Radulovic on Donnelly Street in Sydney’s Inner West about 3.40pm on Saturday, July 29.

Radulovic’s death - just days after the creation of Taskforce Magnus over an explosion in gangland-related killings - sparked a major manhunt by NSW Police which culminated in the raid of Masei Tavui’s family home at Austral on Tuesday morning.

There 19-year-old Tavui was arrested, with detectives seizing clothing relevant to their investigation, before taking him to Liverpool Police Station where he was charged with one count of murder.

Tavui appeared before Liverpool Court, where he made no application for release and therefore was formally refused bail.

Radulovic had a history of drug offences - including being sentenced to a maximum 16 months jail last year for supplying less than an indictable amount of drugs.

As Tavui faced court his mother and father sat in the courthouse to the right of their son, holding back tears as they watched him cry with his head in his hands and wipe his eyes with the sleeves of his white t-shirt.

Tavui’s mother sobbed as he was handcuffed and abruptly let out of the dock and escorted through the courtroom door.

Both parents refused to comment on their son’s murder charge, with his father saying: “We ask for some privacy, we have a family and kids”.

Witnesses to Radulovic’s death allegedly saw him involved in an altercation with two men on the footpath of Donnelly St, before they fled the scene in a white Jeep.

Those men were described to police at the time as being of “Maori or Pacific Islander appearance”.

Radulovic was allegedly left lying on the ground with facial injuries, as well as stab wounds to his torso.

That same white Jeep was found partially on fire in the nearby suburb of Five Dock a short time later, with the blaze able to be extinguished and a firearm allegedly recovered from the boot.

While it was initially believed Radulovic had been stabbed to death, a post-mortem examination was conducted which later revealed he suffered a gunshot wound.

In the aftermath of his death, Radulovic’s sister Lara paid tribute to a man she called her “best friend”.

“I love you Danny so much ❤️ Mum if you need anything at all I’ll be on the first flight back. Watching over us as god has gained one of his strongest soldiers. Love you. Gone, but never forgotten,” she wrote.

Tavui’s arrest was the second made by detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad under Strike Force Dears over Radulovic’s death.

The first arrest was made in September when a 30-year-old man was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.

He remains before the courts.

Tavui was remanded in custody until at least December 12, when he is due to face Downing Centre Local Court.

In a statement, NSW Police said Strike Force Dears detectives are continuing to investigate the incident.

Originally published as A woman has been charged in relation to the murder of ‘Danny the Serb’ in Balmain