Balin Stewart death: Teen accused of murder warned others considering bashing him before fatal confrontation – court

The teen who allegedly stabbed teen Balin Stewart to death was warned others were considering “bashing” him, a court has heard.

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The accused killer who allegedly stabbed another teen was warned in the hours before the fatal confrontation that others were considering “bashing” him, a court heard, and one of the victim’s friends claimed to be carrying a knife on the night in question.

Balin Stewart, 16, died on January 20, 2022 after he was allegedly stabbed by a 17-year-old boy outside his home in Buddina on the Sunshine Coast.

His accused killer, now 18 but who cannot be identified, is facing a two-week Brisbane Supreme Court trial and pleaded not guilty to murder at the start of the case on Monday.

On Wednesday, a teenage girl – at the centre of the tragedy because she was close to the accused killer, and friends with Balin – finished her evidence by reliving the fatal argument.

She told the court she separated the boys after the initial punches and wrestling in the gutter, and kept Balin on the side of the road his house was on, and marched the accused killer to the other side of the road to talk to him. She said it was then she saw he was carrying a knife.

Balin Stewart, 16, who was allegedly stabbed to death outside his Buddina home on January 20. Picture: Supplied

The girl said she warned Balin several times that the other boy had a knife, but once she had finished speaking to the boy, Balin and him approached each other and resumed fighting.

“Balin didn’t throw any first punches,” she said.

Soon after the second fight started, the girl saw the accused killer swing his arm at Balin’s torso. She saw Balin stumble backwards a short distance, before he went down. She went to check on him and realised he had been stabbed.

The court heard on the night of Balin’s death, there had been a house party at another person’s home. Balin and the girl were invited and attended, the accused killer also received a last-minute invite, but did not attend.

A number of witnesses called to give evidence at the trial on Wednesday were teenagers who attended the party.

One witness – a friend of the girl who knew Balin and the accused killer – said when Balin was told the accused killer may be coming to the party, he said words to the effect of:

“Oh f*** yeah, we finally get the chance to bash him.”

Balin Stewart’s parents Michael and Kerri-Lyn outside the Supreme Court. Photo Steve Pohlner

Another witness, a friend of the defendant, said he heard at the party that if the accused turned up, he would be targeted and potentially bashed.

The same witness spoke to another boy who was a friend of Balin and who claimed he was carrying a knife in his backpack.

“Why do you think we have this knife?” the witness claimed the boy said, referring to the defendant potentially coming to the party.

The court heard none of the witnesses saw the knife, but the threat was relayed to the accused killer via Snapchat.

The boy accused of carrying the knife at the party also testified and said he only had alcohol in his backpack and he never told anyone he had a knife on the night.

The court heard the evidence of threats involving knives allegedly came in the context of a photo taken six days earlier and shared on a private Snapchat account.

It showed Balin and his friend – the same one accused of carrying the knife at the party – holding a hunting knife each, which they had bought that day at a corner store.

“We were 16-year-old boys, and when we were allowed to buy one, we thought that sort of stuff was cool,” Balin’s friend testified on Wednesday.

However, multiple witnesses who were aware of this photo being shared on Snapchat said the accused killer would not have directly received it and it was not discussed with him.

The trial continues.