ACT Supreme Court: Weston Creek skate park murder trial begins

The trial of a 17-year-old charged with murder following a “quick confused melee” at a Canberra skate park in 2020 has begun.

The jury trial of a teenage boy accused of murder following a melee at a Canberra skate park nearly two years ago has begun in the ACT Supreme Court.

The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, was charged with murder and recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The boy, who is now 17, was aged only 15 at the time of the alleged incident.

Prosecutors allege the boy killed an 18-year-old man after stabbing him six times during a brief and intense brawl at a Weston Creek skatepark during the early hours of September 27, 2020.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge however on Thursday as the trial began the boy entered a guilty plea to the charge of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The accused had been charged with stabbing a 16-year-old boy, the cousin of the 18-year-old deceased man, in the back with a knife.

The trial of a 17-year-old boy accused of murder has begun in the ACT Supreme Court. Picture: Julia Kanapathippillai

Crown Prosecutor Rebecca Christensen described the alleged incident as a “quick and confused melee” which lasted only a mere two minutes and 12 seconds.

In laying out the Crown’s case against the defendant, Ms Christensen told the court the fight precipitated following arguments between two other teenagers - who had not met before - via Snapchat.

She told the court this led to two groups of teens organising a fist fight at Weston skate park, with one group of teens ringing in the assistance of a number of older men to assist if things went “south”.

Ms Christensen told the court the Crown would argue the boy was the only person attending the fight with a knife and said there was forensic evidence, including blood, fingerprint and textile analysis, and alleged admissions by the defendant, linking the boy to the crime.

Defence lawyer David Barrow briefly addressed the jury at the end of Thursday’s hearing and said during the trial he would raise questions about the opportunity the defendant had to commit the alleged crimes and the reliability of Crown witnesses.

“Don’t rush to judgement,” Mr Barrow said.

“(This trial) involves an accused who was just a boy, is still a boy.

“Please let the process play out.”

The trial continues.