Girum Mekonnen: Group of 10 Men jailed over 'gutless' murder of teen in Zillmere park in Brisbane’s north

A group of men who attacked a 19-year-old in a park and fatally stabbed him as he tried to flee have each been sentenced to life in jail.

The 10 defendants faced Queensland Supreme Court on Monday for sentencing for murder.

Girum Mekonnen died from a 25-centimetre deep wound inflicted when his group was ambushed by men with bats, knives and machetes at a Zillmere park in Brisbane’s north on September 13, 2020.

Justice Lincoln Crowley said the men had used dangerous weapons including a baseball bat covered in spikes or barbed wire and a machete in a brazen ambush in a public space.

“You murdered an unarmed and innocent young man in a gutless group attack,” Justice Crowley said.

The defendants were also sentenced for nine other charges including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, unlawful wounding with bats, knives and machetes and assault causing bodily harm against multiple other victims.

Kresto Wal Wal, 29, Gabreal Wal Wal, 31, Santo Wal, 36, Joseph Lokolong, 28, Majok Riel Majok, 23, Abraham Ajang Yaak, 30, Alex Edward Deng, 22, Chan Kuchmol Kon, 28 ,Ben Abio, 24 and Juma Makuol Deng Makuol, 28 were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Prosecutor Nathan Crane had sought the mandatory 20-year period without parole to be lifted to 25 years for all defendants.

Justice Crowley declined to extend the non-parole period for any of them.

Earlier in March he found the 10 men, including three brothers, guilty of murdering Mr Mekonnen and of nine assault-related charges against other victims following a judge-only trial in November.

Justice Crowley found the motive for the park attack was retaliation against a group suspected of bashing John Wal Wal, the brother of several defendants, at an Ipswich shopping centre five days before Mr Mekonnen was stabbed.

They yelled words to the effect of “this is for my brother” and “you hurt my brother” when they attacked Mr Mekonnen and other victims, the judge said.

Justice Crowley said Mr Mekonnen was innocent of the attack on John Wal Wal.

“Once (the ambush) was underway, you didn’t care who was there and whether they were involved or not,” Justice Crowley said.

“Fuelled by gangster bravado and blood lust, you might have thought you were tough men avenging. You were cowardly thugs attacking a group of young men and two young women.”

The defendants had their non-parole periods shortened due to time already served, which ranged from nearly five weeks to more than four years.

Justice Crowley said most of the defendants had fled lawlessness and violence in South Sudan or been born in refugee camps. But there was no justification for the armed attack they planned and carried out.

“You have brought shame and disgrace on yourselves, your families and communities. You not only took away a young man from his family, you have thrown away your own lives,” Justice Crowley said.

Lokolong will face deportation proceedings upon release.