Ten African men have been found guilty of murdering a teenager in a Brisbane park and injuring several others in a shocking payback attack where knives, bats, poles and at least one machete were used.
Supreme Court Justice Lincoln Crowley handed down his verdict on Wednesday after 12 men fought their murder charges in a judge-only trial last year, and convicted all but two on the basis that they were party to a common unlawful purpose in killing Girum Mekonnen, 19, in Zillmere in 2020.
Alex Edward Deng, 22, Joseph Lokolong, 28, Ben Abio, 23, Majok Riel Majok, 23, Juma Makuol Deng Makuol, 28, Chan Kuchmol Kon, 28, Kresto Wal Wal, 29, Abraham Ajang Yaak, 30, Gabreal Wal Wal, 31, and Santo Wal, 36, were found guilty of murder, Nine News reported.
Deng, Abio, Majok, Makuol, Kon, Lokolong, Kresto Wal Wal, Yaak, Gabreal Wal Wal and Santo Wal were also each found guilty of six counts of malicious act with intent, two counts of wounding and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.
Malat Akoi Makuach, 25 and Yohana Wal Wal, 24, were found not guilty of all charges, as Justice Crowley said it was not proven beyond reasonable doubt they were involved or had prior knowledge there would be an armed attack.
Mekonnen and a group of friends were playing cards in Zillmere’s O’Callaghan Park at about 5.30pm on September 13, 2020, when they were set upon by the gang, who had travelled to the area from Ipswich to get revenge for a brutal bashing and stomping five days earlier which has left a man with brain damage, a broken neck and a fractured skull, among other severe injuries.
The bashing victim’s brothers Kresto Wal Wal, Gabreal Wal Wal, and Santo Wal, yelled “this is for my brother” and “you hurt my brother”, or words to that effect, after sneaking up on the group and surrounding them at an old baseball field canteen, Justice Crowley said.
“I find that members of the attacking group were already brandishing weapons when they came around from the sides of the canteen,” the judge said.
“I am not satisfied that every one of the attackers was carrying a weapon, but I am satisfied that many of them were. I find that the weapons held and used by the attackers included several bats or poles, several knives and at least one machete.
“I am satisfied that the attackers had and used at least one bat or pole that was either wrapped in something like barbed wire or studded with something like small nails or spikes.”
Mekonnen died of blood loss from a 25cm stab wound to the abdomen which passed through his heart, and 10 others were hospitalised. He had not been among the four men charged over the bashing that sparked the reprisal attack, The Courier Mail reported.
After the killing Alex Deng sent a message saying “aye bruh that’s an M for the swish”, and police testified M meant murder and “Swish” was the name of a gang based in Ipswich.
The killers will be sentenced on March 31.
Header image: Left, one of the men on trial (Nine News). Right, Girum Mekonnen (Facebook).
