Verdict to be handed down in the manslaughter trial of three of Jack Beasley’s alleged killers

The family of slain teenager Jack Beasley are on tenterhooks as a judge prepares to hand down a verdict in the manslaughter trial of three of his alleged killers, two of them teenagers, this week.

The parents of slain Gold Coast teenager Jack Beasley are on tenterhooks as a judge prepares to hand down a verdict in the manslaughter trial of three of his alleged killers.

Jack, 17, was fatally stabbed outside a Surfers Paradise convenience store just before Christmas in 2019 during a wave of deadly knife violence on the Glitter Strip.

Two teenagers, aged 17 and 19, have pleaded guilty to murder and manslaughter respectively over the tragedy.

Ma-Mal-J Toala, 21, and the two teens pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and two counts of grievous bodily harm during a week-and-half long judge-only trial in Brisbane Supreme Court in May.

It’s alleged a group of five boys was in Surfers Paradise on December 13, 2019, when Jack, of Parkwood, was ­fatally stabbed near the Surfers Paradise IGA after a fight erupted.

One of Jack’s friends, also 17, was stabbed in the back and chest, leaving him with a punctured lung, it is alleged.

Jack Beasley (right) with dad Brett. Jack, 17, was stabbed to death on the Gold Coast in 2019. Picture: Facebook

The alleged assailants were aged between 15 and 18 at the time.

The four youngest cannot be named for legal reasons.

On the last day of the trial, one of the ­defence lawyers described the fight – which took 29 seconds – as being caused by “an excess of testosterone and stupidity”.

Closed circuit TV footage played to the court showed the group following Jack and his mates along Surfers Paradise Blvd before inviting them to have a fight around the corner and stopping in front of them.

One of the teens pushed Jack, who retaliated by flicking a cigarette at them, the footage shows.

The fight escalated and the 15-year-old stabbed Jack in the chest and his friend.

The footage allegedly showed the 15-year-old and Toala fist-bumping as they left the scene.

Crown prosecutor Todd Fuller told the court the fight was “group violence” that was “not just anticipated but planned”.

“All of them (the defendants) participated in the pursuit (of Jack’s group) at some speed,” he said.

Brett and Belinda Beasley established the Jack Beasley Foundation to lobby for tougher knife crime laws after the stabbing death of their 17-year-old son, Jack. Picture: Richard Gosling

After Jack’s death, his shattered parents, Brett and Belinda, established the Jack Beasley Foundation to lobby for tougher knife crime laws and a successful police ‘wanding’ (metal detector) trial in the Gold Coast party precincts of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

In a Facebook post overnight, the foundation revealed Judge Soraya Ryan would hand down her reserved decision in the manslaughter trial on Thursday.

“Well the day is finally here,” the post read.

“As you all know the judge for Jacko’s case has been deliberating for nearly 6 weeks and has finally made her decision.

“So it’s this Thursday 7th at 10am at the Brisbane Supreme Court (short notice we know). It’s an open court. Let’s all hope and pray it all goes Jacko’s way.”