Ricky Lefoe sentenced for manslaughter of Ivan Susin in fatal chip brawl

The mother of a student who was fatally punched on the Gold Coast glitter strip has shared how losing her only son in such a brutal way has caused her family deep pain.

The mother of a Brazilian man whose life was cut tragically short when he was fatally punched during a night out has opened up about the pain of losing her youngest child - just years after her daughter was killed in a car accident.

Sydney man Ricky Lefoe, 32, was found guilty on Tuesday of killing Ivan Susin, 29, outside a Gold Coast kebab shop after 1am in October 2019.

The pair had been involved in a brawl that started when Lefoe’s friend grabbed at a container of hot chips Mr Susin’s friends were eating.

Moments after the fight broke out, the Brazilian student was floored by a single punch from Lefoe.

Lefoe had pleaded not guilty to Mr Susin’s manslaughter but was later found guilty by a Supreme Court jury in February.

Ivan Susin died after a fatal blow during a fight in Surfers Paradise in 2019.

What led to man’s death

It was a moment of madness that turned a night out on the Glitter Strip upside down.

And it was all over a handful of greasy potato chips.

Lefoe’s friend Shaun Simpson had stolen food from two of Mr Susin’s friends sitting on a nearby bench.

Seeing his friends in crisis, Mr Susin had approached the group and attempted to intervene in the brawl by throwing a punch at Mr Simpson, but he completely missed, the court heard.

He was then struck in the head by Lefoe.

The heated moment is captured entirely on CCTV – including the fatal blow to Mr Susin.

Mr Susin collapses in a heap on the pavement and doesn’t move.

Lefoe and Mr Simpson are seen walking away from the mess.

Mr Susin died 11 days from the head injury caused by Lefoe.

Upon his arrest, Lefoe asked whether the “fight looked bad” and told police “he tried to hit my mate, I f***ing put him to sleep”.

He also asked whether Mr Susin or his friends would be charged but gave “no inquiry or concern into Mr Susin’s health”, the court heard.

He told officers it was “self defence” because the student had “tried to hit my mate”.

A mother’s anguish

Mr Susin’s mother, Jane Susin, shared her anguish with the court in a letter read out by Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso on her behalf.

Ms Susin, who appeared via video link from Brazil, said losing her only son in such a brutal way brings her “immense sadness”.

“Ivan was remarkable and special young man, a bright soul and a big heart,” she said.

“He loved life, he had a real zest for life and lived his life to the fullest.

“Behind the young man who today you call a victim, there is a story.

“There is family torn apart that daily struggles to find the strength to stand on their feet.”

Ricky Lefoe was found guilty in February for the manslaughter of Brazilian man Ivan Susin. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Ms Susin said her family’s lives “have changed completely” since the moment they received the news about the fight.

“A departure that did not happen naturally, on the contrary his life was taken,” she said.

“Our son’s life was ripped away from us by the man who is now a criminal and does not even have the decency to own up to his actions.

“For him, our son could have been just another one but not for us.

“He took everything from us, he took our beloved son, the affectionate brother, the friendly brother-in-law, the esteemed uncle, the friend who was dear to all and the young man who will never again light us up with a great smile.

“He was our greatest treasure.”

Ms Susin shared with the court her son was the second child she’s lost, after her first born daughter died in a car accident in 2016.

“And then on just another ordinary day, we received the news that our son had been the victim of a brutal assault, that it was serious and we needed to travel to Australia urgently.

“We didn't know exactly the condition my son was in, I would only find out upon arriving here.

“Besides the shock of the news and the uncertainty of his health condition, we immediately started to work out what was needed for the trip.”

Ms Susin said the family decided she would be the only one to travel to Australia because of the costly airfare.

The stress she endured over the next 10 days was immense for the grieving mother who could not speak or understand English.

Brazilian tourist Ivan Susin’s mother Jane (right) shared with Brisbane Supreme Court how much the loss of the 29-year-old continues to haunt her family. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

“The bureaucracy is huge and I even had undergo a mental examination to get a visa,” Ms Susin said.

“This was my first international flight, I was all alone and all I could think about was my son.

“The hours could not seem to pass, and my heart felt like it was going to explode.

“Contrary to what I imagined, I already found my son unconscious and already connected to many medical devices, with cuts on his head, half his hair shaved off and in a coma.

“The doctors told me through an interpreter that the brain injuries were extremely serious and if my son woke up, he could be deaf, blind, dumb and he might not be able to walk, talk or be able to recognise me as well as potential seizures as a consequence.”

She spent the next 10 “intense days” by her son’s side in the hospital.

“I would only leave when the nurses asked me to so they could give him medication and bathe him,” Ms Susin said.

“I spent it the whole time, night and day, waiting for the slightest sign from him without sleeping, without eating because I couldn‘t and drinking only water or coffee without even taking showers.

“The suffering was immense, I did not understand the language. I did not understand the medications being given to my son and I often didn’t understand what was happening.

“When the nurses asked me to leave so they could bathe him, I felt helpless and alone being far from him.

“I felt so much pain in that moment, knowing what my son was going through. The two of us so far away from our family support.”

CCTV captured the moment Ivan Susin was knocked out cold on the ground. Picture: 9 News

Mr Susin was declared brain dead 11 days after he was struck by Lefoe but that wasn’t the end of the tragic series of events for his family.

“And if all of that wasn’t enough, I had needed to authorise and watch the equipment being turned off as my son’s heart stopped beating,” Ms Susin aid.

“Can you imagine what that means to a mother?

“I had to face all of the bureaucracy submitting my son for autopsy, I had to organise his wake with only his sister and I and some of my son‘s friends present and of which his father could only watch over the internet.

“I had to organise information, I had to go through the process of carefully bringing the urn with my son’s ashes in my arms through the trip back to Brazil and going through the embarrassment at the airport X-ray because of this.”

Ms Susin said since her son’s death, “an entire family also lost their lives and the will to live”.

“Since then, I am no longer who I was,” she said.

“The impact of this loss cannot be translated into words, they are immeasurable, devastating, they are eternal, they are daily.

“My son will never come home, I will never have his affection again. His father will never get the bear hugs again.

“My family will never be complete or truly happy.”

Ivan Susin had been on a working visa in Australia when he was killed.

Ms Susin said her family’s pain has been prolonged by the lengthy delays with the case against Lefoe.

“This moment is long awaited and finally the family has the opportunity to voice a fraction of what we’re going through,” she said.

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill sentenced Lefoe to eight years imprisonment and will be eligible for parole once he’s completed half of his sentence.

She said it was “hard to find any explanation” for Lefoe’s decision to throw the fatal punch.

“This altercation being started by Mr Simpson and involving the momentary act by your part in a single blow,” Chief Justice Bowskill said.

“There’s no one right answer to determining the right penalty and no one penalty will ease the pain of Mr Susin’s family.”

Originally published as Ricky Lefoe sentenced for manslaughter of Ivan Susin in fatal chip brawl