Aust detective dedicated to marking musician's death

Wendy and Alan Marshall, the parents of Andy Marshall, who was killed in Perth in 2011. Photo / Duncan Brown

A detective who investigated the death of a Hawke's Bay musician is setting up a memorial in his honour.

Sergeant Matt Donkin of the Western Australia Police formed close ties with the family of Andy Marshall, who was killed when he was pushed through a second-storey window of a Perth pub in 2011. Mr Donkin supported the family through the investigation and two court trials.

Stefan Schmidt was jailed for Marshall's murder in 2012 and given a minimum jail sentence of 14 years. He admitted pushing Andy, causing him to fall 7 metres to the ground, but claimed he did not mean to kill him.

Schmidt was re-tried after a successful appeal. He was then acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter. He was jailed last year for nine years.

Sergeant Donkin had raised more than $4100 to go towards a suitable memorial for the Marshall family.

He exceeded his $2500 goal and was using the money to help Andy's parents attend the unveiling ceremony in Perth on Friday.

Andy's father, Hawke's Bay-based Alan Marshall, has been overwhelmed by his efforts.

"Sergeant Donkin has really taken this project to heart and we are so grateful for what he has done," he said. "He has not only organised things at a local level with the council and co-ordinated with the right people, but he also initiated the fundraising page that made it all possible."

He and his wife Wendy will travel from New Zealand for the ceremony, which will be held on the fourth anniversary of their son's death.

Mr Marshall told Hawke's Bay Today it would be difficult to return to the site on the anniversary but he felt it was the right thing to do for his son. The memorial will lay on the pavement outside Cottesloe's Ocean Beach Hotel.

"We hope it will send a powerful message about the devastating effects of violence. We want to draw attention to the irreversible consequences violence can have and the pain and grief it causes," Mr Marshall said.

Andy's cousin was Scott Guy, who was shot while he stood in the driveway of his Feilding home a year earlier. Andy would have turned 33 this December.