Gold Coast trio jailed over Max Waller killing

HE’S the Gold Coast bikie who stabbed Max Waller to death with a steak knife outside a Broadbeach hotel. Now he and his two co-accused have been jailed over the killing.

THE bikie who killed Max Waller outside a Broadbeach apartment complex has been sentenced to more than nine years behind bars.

Waller, 28, died outside the Carmel by the Sea building on June 23, 2013.

He suffered six stab wounds to his chest and arms.
The fatal wound, which punctured a lung, measured 11cm.

Three men — Finks bikies Wade Yates-Taui, 25, and Benjamin Thomas Mortimer, 30, and non-bikie co-accused Cohen Andrew Smith, 24 — were originally charged with Waller’s murder, but pleaded guilty in May to manslaughter.

Max Waller died after suffering six stab wounds to his chest and arms. Image: Facebook

Professional martial arts fighter, Mortimer, 30, was yesterday sentenced by the Brisbane Supreme Court to nine years and six months’ jail.

He will be eligible for parole after four years and six months have been served. Mortimer has been in pre-sentence custody for more than two years.

Justice Susan Brown found Mortimer took a steak knife from a friend’s apartment before going with Yates-Taui and Smith to the scene of the fight.

Wade Yates-Taui has been jailed along with his co-accused. Picture Glenn Hampson

Yates-Taui was sentenced to seven years and six months’ jail and will be eligible for parole after serving two years and three months of the sentence.

He has already spent 563 days on remand.

Smith was sentenced to eight years’ jail for the manslaughter of Mr Waller but will be eligible for parole after four years have been served.

He was also sentenced to 12 months jail for possessing and trafficking dangerous drugs.

Smith was ordered to serve the drug sentence cumulatively. The 24-year-old has served almost four years on remand.

Max Waller died after being stabbed in a Broadbeach park.

Defence lawyer for Mortimer and Yates-Taui, Michael Gatenby, said the men were “deeply remorseful for their actions”.

“Each of them have expressed throughout the whole matter that they are deeply remorseful,” he said.

“The (judge) found that all of them were intoxicated at the time and it just demonstrates the danger of young people being intoxicated and having access to weapons.

“It’s a real danger, the combination of youth, testosterone and weapons and the consequences are really significant.”