Jordan and Dominic Von Stanke jailed for 2017 manslaughter of Mount Gambier man Rex Court

Two brothers have been jailed for their “savage, vicious, impulsive and senseless” killing of a Mount Gambier man who posed no threat to, and did not strike at, either of them.

• Brothers ‘took just 39 seconds to deliver fatal street beating’
• Von Stanke brothers plead guilty to manslaughter over street brawl
• ‘My heart is shattered in every way’ says slain man’s sister
• ‘Give us home detention’ say brothers who killed man in brawl

Two brothers have been jailed for their “savage, vicious, impulsive and senseless” killing of a Mount Gambier man who posed no threat to, and did not strike at, either of them.

Jordan Von Stanke and his brother Dominic showed no emotion as the District Court on Tuesday sentenced them for the 2017 manslaughter of Rex Court.

In sentencing, Judge Geraldine Davison said the brothers had intervened in a dispute that did not involve them, bringing it to a sudden and fatal conclusion.

“(In) no more than 39 seconds, fatal injuries were inflicted upon Mr Court, who was offering no threat nor violence to anyone,” she said.

“His death is the consequence of your impulsive and senseless violence against a man who was not even fighting back and had done nothing to you.

“The attack was savage, your conduct brutal … this was a nasty, vicious and unprovoked attack by both of you in circumstances where there was no justification at all.”

In May 2017, Mr Court, 32, and his friends became involved in a verbal dispute with a group of youths at Mount Gambier.

One of those youths called the Von Stankes, saying they were being hassled “by a crack head” — they drove up, got out and attacked him from behind, inflicting fatal wounds.

Rex Court. Picture supplied by Mr Court’s family.

Dominic Von Stanke in a photo from his Facebook page.

Originally charged with murder, the brothers last year brokered a plea bargain in which they confessed to the lesser crime of manslaughter.

Earlier this month, their counsel asked they be allowed to serve their sentence on home detention, given their youth, lack of prior offending and “genuine remorse”.

On Tuesday, Judge Davison said their conduct was far too serious for anything less than immediate imprisonment.

She said Jordan had “poor reasoning skills”, was “egocentric and morally naive” due to his “excessively indulgent” upbringing and lack of consequences for “misconduct”.

Dominic, she said, had acted “out of misguided solidarity” with his brother and now recognised he had grossly misjudged the situation.

Dominic Von Stanke, left, and his brother Jordan, right, have been jailed for the manslaughter of Rex Court.

Judge Davison said both brothers were genuinely remorseful and had apologised, but noted Jordan’s psychological makeup meant he in particular needed further rehabilitation.

She jailed him for more than six years and Dominic for more than five years, ordering they serve five years and four years, respectively, before becoming eligible for parole.

Outside court, Mr Court’s family said the sentence was “better than we had expected” and said his organ donor status meant several lives had been saved through transplants.

His sister, Sarah Danielson, said her brother was “a good person who did not deserve to die”.

“We have to live the rest of our lives without him … his life was taken too soon by two people who didn’t even know him,” she said.

Follow @SeanFewster