Brandon Shillingsworth pleads guilty to murder of Riverstone man Kevin Kourtis

A man and a teenager involved in the deadly stabbing of western Sydney man Kevin Kourtis (pictured) during a home invasion were on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol at the time, a court has heard.

New details have emerged in the frightening stabbing death of Riverstone man Kevin Kourtis (pictured), with police allegedly the five men charged met up beforehand as part of a “joint criminal enterprise”. Picture: Supplied

A man and a teenager involved in the deadly stabbing of Riverstone man Kevin Kourtis were on drugs at the time, a court has learned.

Brandon David Shillingsworth, 23, and a 19-year-old man referred to as DPD as he was a minor at the time of the fatal attack, previously pleaded guilty to multiple charges including murder and accessory after the fact following the frightening home invasion on May 24, 2020.

The court heard Shillingsworth and DPD, then aged 17, were two of five men who broke into Mr Kourtis’ Riverstone home where the 39-year-old man was attacked on his doorstep. Mr Kourtis died of fatal stab wounds.

Two women, aged 34 and 42, were at the home at the time and suffered minor injuries.

Kevin Kourtis was allegedly murdered in his home in Riverstone in May 2020. Picture: Supplied

As a result, barrister Tom Hughes told the court Shillingsworth’s role in the planning of the incident had to be “fairly loose”.

Mr Hughes said the group of five had met at a carpark before the deadly attack, before merging and travelling to the property.

The full details of the stabbing remain relatively unknown with three men, who were juveniles at the time, still before the courts.

A crown prosecutor told the court on Friday the attack was likely “targeted”.

“It could be inferred that it was planned,” he said. “It wasn’t a spontaneous act with intent to rob while armed.”

The court also heard despite five people being charged, police did not know who was responsible for the fatal blow which killed Mr Kourtis.

Mr Hughes said Shillingsworth had not intended to kill Mr Kourtis and had suffered a troubled upbringing living with an abusive father.

Brandon Shillingsworth is the fifth male charged over the alleged stabbing murder of Kevin Kourtis. Picture: NSW Police

At 15-years-old, Shillingsworth had started taking heroin and claimed to have been sexually abused while in juvenile custody. He started an apprenticeship when in juvenile detention, but gave evidence he was hanging out with the “wrong people” on his release.

Since his arrest in 2020, Shillingsworth had been involved in seven incidents in custody, including two assaults and a riot.

Nonetheless, he claimed since the riot he had “changed his ways”.

Barrister Winston Terracini SC told the court DPD had suffered a similarly “disgraceful” upbringing and had taken heroin, alcohol, and 11 tablets of Xanax on the night of the attack.

DPD is also charged with having a sawn-off shotgun at the time of the incident.

The court heard both men suffered mental illness, including borderline-PTSD and depression, and had not been taking medication when the murder took place.

Justice Wright told the court he would deliver his verdict at a later date.

The three co-accused are expected to return to court in March.