Girum Mekonnen death: Murder-accused’s alleged Google searches heard in court

One of the 12 men accused of the murder of a teen at a Brisbane park allegedly made incriminating Google searches after the killing including “how to log everyone out of Instagram”.

Girum Mekonnen was allegedly murdered at a Zillmere park in Brisbane’s north in 2020.

A man accused of murder made allegedly incriminating Google searches after the killing such as “Snapchat deactivate” and “how to log everyone out of Instagram”, a court heard.

In addition to these, the prosecution in the Brisbane Supreme Court trial also heavily relies on phone tower pings from defendants’ phones on the night to prove that the accused men were the gang that killed one and put 10 others in hospital in a suburban park melee.

Girum Mekonnen, 19, was allegedly murdered in O’Callaghan Park in Zillmere in Brisbane’s north around 5.30pm on September 13, 2020.

A dozen defendants are on trial in a judge-only proceeding charged with one count of murder, nine counts of malicious acts with intent, as well as one count of assault occasioning bodily harm. Each defendant has pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges.

The accused are Alex Edward Deng, 22, Ben Abio, 23, Majok Riel Majok, 23, Yohana Wal Wal, 23, Malat Akoi Makuach, 25, Juma Makuol Deng Makuol, 27, Chan Kuchmol Kon, 28, Joseph Lokolong, 28, Kresto Wal Wal, 28, Abraham Ajang Yaak, 30, Gabreal Wal Wal, 31, and Santo Wal, 36.

Girum Mekonnen was allegedly murdered in a Zillmere park.

With the trial in its third week, and all witness testimonies done, closing arguments began on Wednesday. Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane addressed Justice Lincoln Crowley all day.

Mr Crane said some witnesses had named particular defendants as being in the park that night by police photo board identification, but Mr Crane said the judge should also look at the phone tower location data if he had any doubts about witness accounts and identifications.

“There are those who say Kresto Wal Wal was there, and there are others who stand up and say no he wasn’t,” Mr Crane said.

“We know he’s there, the Crown says, in a circumstantial way, by the base station connections or communications - likewise Gabreal Wal, Joseph Lokolong, and Alex Deng.

“This case always lies upon, as a foundation, the base station communication that there were at least 10 of these men who were present, another who admits to being present, and Yohanna Wal Wal who the Crown relies upon his GPS data.”

Mr Crane also highlighted Yohana Wal Wal’s phone data download, alleging he deleted all messages with his brother and co-accused Santo Wal, and deleted calls and messages with co-accused Majok Majok from his phone once he got home from the park.

“He also Google searches ‘snapchat deactivate’, ‘how to log everyone out of Instagram’, searches for a liquor store, and then ‘man died’,” Mr Crane said.

“He’s trying to erase any communication he had with people who were at Zillmere either by calls, which you can only delete, either by Instagram, and we know he was speaking to someone, and Snapchat.”

Police at the scene after the incident. Picture: Peter Wallis

The Crown alleges the motive for the Zillmere park ambush was a vicious attack five days earlier on John Wal – who is not charged or on trial, but he is the brother of four of the defendants - at Redbank Plains Shopping Centre on September 8, 2020.

The court heard John Wal suffered brain damage, a broken neck, fractured skull, internal bleeding, and blood clot on the brain - consistent with being stomped on while unconscious.

Four juveniles were charged in relation to John Wal’s assault. None of them were among the group of victims in O’Callaghan Park that evening.

“They thought that the group they were going to attack was capable of the assault permeated on John Wal and thought they were going to face a formidable opponent … and in my submission that is why they armed themselves with weapons,” Mr Crane said.

“There are three principles of intent - the first was their number, the second was weapons, the third is the violence perpetrated.

“This is an unusual case because there were no punches, every single time someone was hit in this park, it was by a weapon of some sort, and there have been a variety of weapons described.

Emergency services at the scene at O’Callaghan Park, Zillmere.

“It was not an elongated assault, some of the evidence in this trial suggests it might be in the order of 60 seconds to two minutes.”

The trial has heard witnesses described at least six attackers carrying baseball bats in the park that evening, and knives were also found at the scene.

Mr Crane said another witness said they saw one attacker was carrying a samurai sword, which could account for Girum Mekonnen’s 25cm-long wound.

Mr Crane said there was other evidence suggesting the attackers had bats embedded with nails or barbed wire, which may account for various injuries on Girum Mekonnen’s back.

The Crown alleges that as the attackers approached the park on foot, most put their hoods up or put masks over their faces, which the prosecution says shows “they knew they were going to do something unlawful and they didn’t want to be identified”.

Closing submissions continue on Thursday, and it is expected each barrister representing each of the 12 defendants will outline their defence cases.