Seyram Kwami Djentuh found guilty of murder over Fortitude Valley station stabbing
A man who plunged a pair of scissors into the neck of a 24-year-old during a fight at the Fortitude Valley station claimed he acted in self-defence. Now he will be sentenced to life imprisonment.
A man who plunged a pair of scissors into the neck of a 24-year-old at the Fortitude Valley train station will be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Seyram Kwami Djentuh, 22, had claimed he acted in self-defence when he fatally stabbed Lauie Tagaloa during a confrontation but on Tuesday a jury found him guilty of murder.
Emotional supporters and family of Mr Tagaloa, who took up two and half rows in the public gallery, gasped in relief and one clapped briefly at the verdict.
During a five-day trial in Brisbane’s Supreme Court the jury heard Djentuh had agreed to fight Mr Tagaloa’s friend Fernando Siologa in Brunswick St Mall during the early hours of July 11 2022.
Djentuh told Mr Siologa that he first wanted a drink of water and went to a nearby NightOwl where he first asked to use the back door before stealing a pair of scissors which he eventually paid for, the court heard.
He then walked to Fortitude Valley station with two mates where he was pursued by Mr Siologa, who agreed in court he wanted to teach Djentuh a lesson. Mr Siologa is not charged over the incident.
The fight kicked off at the entrance of the Valley metro with Mr Tagaloa, who had followed his friend down from the mall, quickly getting the best of Djentuh’s two friends.
Djentuh had tried to stab Mr Tagaloa in the neck at that point and struck out at Mr Siologa with the scissors multiple times but didn’t make contact.
The fight moved inside the metro complex where it was captured on a phone camera by a bystander.
In an eerie scene CCTV captured Mr Tagaloa tapping at his neck, which crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso said was an “omen” of what was to come.
She said he likely did this because Djentuh had threatened to stab him in the neck.
While retreating through the complex Djentuh is advanced upon by Mr Tagaloa, who he stabs in the neck before fleeing down to the train platform where he throws away the scissors near the tracks.
Ms Kelso in her closing statement said Djentuh had been “itching” for a fight that night and when he got one he went to a convenience store to get scissors to get the upper hand
“(He) effectively brought a knife to a fist fight,” she said.
She attacked the idea Djentuh was in fear of his life as he’d claimed and said he had multiple opportunities to walk away.
“The defendant deliberately plunges those scissors, I suggest, into the side of Mr Tagaloa’s neck at a point where he knew this man was standing there with his hand down by his side.
“Just because you’re in a fist fight doesn’t mean the law allows you to just kill someone, particularly if you’re intending to do so with a weapon.”
The jury of six men and six women began deliberating about 12.30pm on Monday and returned a verdict just after 4pm Tuesday.
A conviction of murder for adults carries a mandatory life term with a 20-year non-parole period in Queensland. The court is now proceeding to sentence.
In a victim impact statement Mr Tagaloa’s sister Rakee Tagaloa addressed Djentuh directly.
“The Tagaloa family would never wish this upon you or anyone else as we would not want your family to go through all the heartache and pain that we have endured,” she said.
She remembered her brother as a caring and humble sibling who loved going fishing and riding his motorcycle.
“He was one of a kind and had such a big heart for anyone and everyone,” she said.
Ms Tagaloa said the murder had a devastating impact on her parents with her mother visiting his grave daily and his father describing it as “his worst nightmare”.
“We will never get to see him grow old, we will never witness him getting married we will never get to see him be a father … nor we will ever see him again,” she said.
