Sonal Gobi Brawn, Atem Marou, Aboki Opio and unnamed youth face court over Craigmore ‘gang’ stabbing

A man accused of a “gang” stabbing has told a court it was his father who worked for the gang – not him – as police reveal an alleged motive.

A man accused of an alleged “gang-related” stabbing in Adelaide’s northern suburbs says his dad was part of the gang – not him, a court has heard.

On Friday, one of three adults and a youth charged over the vicious stabbing of a 19-year-old Craigmore man appeared in Elizabeth Magistrates Court seeking bail.

Aboki Opio, 19, of Andrews Farm was about to hear the outcome of his bail application, when he asked Magistrate Jayne Basheer if he could address the court.

Mr Opio then said he was “not included in a gang”. adding his father “did work with the gang”.

Mr Opio is charged, alongside two other men aged 19 and 27, and a youth, 16, with aggravated causing harm with intent over the stabbing in Craigmore last week.

Mr Opio’s father is not facing any charges or accused of any wrongdoing.

Ms Basheer refused Mr Opio bail alongside co-accused Atem Marou, 27 of Mawson Lakes, on multiple factors including the current stage of the investigation and the protection of the victim – who remains in hospital.

“The primary reason to my mind is the infancy of this investigation and I think the prosecution are entitled to have some time, even if it is limited time, to continue their inquiries without the adult offenders interfering,” Ms Basheer said.

Counsel for Mr Opio argued that while the allegations against his client were serious, he would spend a long time in custody while he contested the charges.

“The allegations are strongly contested, and it will be a long time until this matter resolves,” counsel said.

“He is a very young man who would spend a very long time in custody awaiting trial.”

The court heard Mr Opio is completing his year 12 studies and acts and a youth leader at church that he attends on Saturday and Sunday.

It is alleged that on December 5, the four males exited a car wielding various weapons including a knife and an unlocated shotgun in Craigmore.

A confrontation occurred between the group, which prosecutors alleged were a gang – and a member of another “gang”.

The victim was chased into the backyard of a single mother – who is unrelated to the stabbing – and was stabbed five times in the chest and abdomen.

Police were called to the scene but the suspects had fled.

Detectives from Operation Meld – SAPOL’s youth gang crime task force – and specialist STAR Group officers later searched four northern suburbs homes and made four arrests.

Detectives from Operation Meld, Northern District and Western District and STAR Group officers searched four northern suburbs homes on December 8. Picture: Dylan Coker

The other two co-accused – Sonal Gobi Brawn, 19, of Munno Para West, and a 16-year-old boy from Parafield Gardens – were released on bail at an earlier date.

Police prosecutors alleged in court the attack was not random and was sparked by gang warfare, arguing if the accused were released, there would be retribution.

“We say it is clear there are now going to be repercussions,” police prosecutors said.

“It was essentially an incident where one, we’ll call it a gang … attacked, for lack of a better word, a leading member of another gang.

“This didn’t occur because of a personal vendetta, it didn’t occur out of vengeance. It simply, we say, occurred in a suburban street, because that person was part of another gang.”

Counsel for Mr Brawn told the court during his application for bail CCTV footage of the group was not conclusive in identifying his client.

Mr Marou’s counsel told the court the groups involved in the alleged gang attack were yet to be named in the court and any mention of retribution between the groups was speculation.

The three men are set to appear in court to answer charges in March 2024.