‘Vicious attack on unarmed man’: Life sentence for brutal mall murder

Two men have been jailed - one for life - for killing a 27-year-old father who was stabbed and bled out in the middle of Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise from “catastrophic injuries”. A third accused walked free.

Gold Coast stabbing victim Raymond Harris.

Two men have been jailed for a Gold Coast killing more than three years ago, which a judge described as a “cowardly” attack and a “totally unnecessary death”.

Raymond Harris, a 27-year-old father, was stabbed and bled to death in the middle of Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise on September 23, 2020.

An off-duty paramedic and bystanders tried to save Mr Harris, but the knife severed his liver and went into his stomach, resulting in “catastrophic” injuries.

Jye Sebastian Webb-Italia, 22, was found guilty of murder and co-accused Kyle Jack Webb, 28, was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury on Monday after a two-week trial.

A third co-accused, 25-year-old Jarod James Miller, was also on trial, but the jury found him not guilty of both murder and manslaughter and he walked free from court on Monday.

In a sentencing hearing in Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday, Acting Justice Ann Lyons said Webb was the instigator, while Webb-Italia did not know Mr Harris prior to the incident.

Tara Leigh Harris, the sister of Raymond Harris, leaves the Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday after the sentencing. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“It wasn’t his [Webb-Italia’s] fight, he tried to calm Mr Harris down,” Acting Justice Lyons said to Webb.

“Your anger arose from the fact that Mr Harris had accused you of knowing someone who was causing trouble with his friends. You had denied this to him on the phone, but you didn’t leave it there.

“The genesis of this whole incident started with you both spending the day in a nearby unit consuming drugs with other friends.

“The evidence is that you were all sitting around in that unit that day and meth was being consumed by Mr Webb … and Mr Webb-Italia had also taken cannabis and possibly methamphetamine.”

Police at the scene of the fatal stabbing of Raymond Harris outside the Beer Garden at the corner of Cavill Mall and Orchid Avenue in September 2020. Picture: Ryan Keen

The court heard about 9pm that night, the trio confronted Mr Harris outside the Surfers Paradise Beer Garden.

The entire attack was captured on CCTV, Webb-Italia and Webb ran at Mr Harris, who was yelling at them but he was unarmed.

Acting Justice Lyons said the footage showed Webb-Italia make a “deliberate, forceful movement with a knife towards Mr Harris”.

“Webb-Italia went towards him [Mr Harris] and … stabbed him once in the stomach with a very sharp black knife, causing the fatal wound,” Acting Justice Lyons said.

“I accept that you [Webb-Italia] may not have been aware that you actually stabbed him, you always accepted that you sliced and swung at him.

“However, Mr Webb did advance towards Mr Harris, punching him vigorously to the stomach, causing him to fall onto the roadway.

“The footage shows sustained punches against someone who was alone and unarmed. It can only be described as cowardly and disproportionate.”

Jarod Miller walks free from the Magistrates Court in Brisbane. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Mr Harris fell onto Cavill Avenue and died there “with a cigarette in one hand, and his phone in the other hand”, the court heard.

“This totally unnecessary death was caused by three things - drug-induced anger, disproportionate aggression about perceived insults, and going to a punch-up with knives,” Acting Justice Lyons summarised.

Mr Harris’ family were in court on Tuesday for the sentencing.

“The circumstances around Mr Harris’ death have clearly caused a great deal of distress to his family and friends and we heard that this morning in very graphic and emotional detail,” Acting Justice Lyons said.

“It has also been very difficult for them and caused a great deal of distress in this courtroom because they have had to view over and over, and in slow-motion at times, the vicious attack on an unarmed man.

“Those images will never leave them, they will carry them always, as will the bystanders who essentially saw someone dying before their eyes.”

Raymond Harris died at the scene.

Webb-Italia - who was 18 at the time, and is now 22 - was handed a mandatory life sentence behind bars for murder. He will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years. He has already served more than three-and-a-half years in pre-sentence custody.

“I accept that you indicated on the night that you never intended that someone would die and you indicated your remorse and sorrow at Mr Harris’s death,” Acting Justice Lyons said.

“There is evidence in the trial that you have a history of bipolar disorder, epilepsy, and anxiety. There is also evidence that you were intoxicated that day. I also note, to your credit, you have undertaken courses in custody.”

Webb, who was 24 at the time and is now 28, was sentenced to nine years’ jail for manslaughter.

He has also served more than three-and-a-half years in pre-sentence custody. He will be eligible for parole at the halfway point of his sentence, which will be in less than a year given the time already served.

“I accept that you had a prejudicial childhood, were an ice addict at an early age, have significant symptoms of anger management, and have a limited education and work history, but you do have family support,” Acting Justice Lyons said.