Zillmere park murder: Witness Kyle Avenido speaks after guilty verdict
One of the victims butchered in a horrific gang attack where his best mate was murdered says this week’s guilty verdict for the perpetrators has brought him closure.
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One of the victims butchered in a horrific gang attack where his best mate was murdered says this week’s guilty verdict for the perpetrators has brought him closure.
Ten men were found guilty of murdering Girum Mekonnen during an ambush of a group of friends in O’Callaghan Park in Zillmere in Brisbane’s north on September 13, 2020.
A handful of victims were seriously wounded including Kyle Avenido who was stabbed in the chest causing injury to his lung and liver.
Mr Avenido told the Courier Mail that he was happy with Wednesday’s verdict which saw the same 10 men convicted of Mr Mekonnen’s murder also found guilty of six counts of malicious act with intent, two counts of wounding and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.
“I’m happy about the results and finally get some closure,” he said.
“I’m fully healed from my stab wounds to my lungs and liver. It was a crappy week at hospital after the incident … but I managed to pull through.”
The frenzied violence that the victims were subjected to played out on a Sunday evening as they were gathered in their regular spot in the park to socialise.
Men wearing Covid masks, bandannas and hoodies over their heads, snuck up on them from behind and surrounded them. The attackers were armed with baseball bats, knives, and long blades such as machetes.
Mr Avenido was called as a witness during the trial late last year and told the court he had begged the attackers “please don’t do it, I don’t know you” moments before the violence erupted.
“A guy from our group told us to run. I was standing in front of the veranda on the grass, most of my group were standing on the veranda. They [the attackers] formed a semicircle,” Mr Avenido testified.
“Then one of them came forward and he hit me on the head with the bottle and I started bleeding profusely, blood squirted everywhere.”
He was then stabbed in the chest by a sharp, bladed instrument wielded with considerable force.
“This was followed by a really sharp pain, and there was blood dripping down from my chest,” he told the court.
The badly wounded victim sought to get back to his car when he saw Mr Mekonnen, who he had known since 2015, about five metres away looking disoriented.
“I said ‘Girum, Girum, we need to get out of here’ and then he just collapsed face-first in front of me and that’s the last time I saw him, I didn’t see him get back up.
“I knew I couldn’t help him because I was severely injured.”
Those who murdered Mr Mekonnen and attacked Mr Avenido and their friends will face life imprisonment when sentenced later this month.
They are Alex Edward Deng, 22, Joseph Lokolong, 28, Ben Abio, 23, Majok Riel Majok, 23, Juma Makuol Deng Makuol, 28, Chan Kuchmol Kon, 28, Kresto Wal Wal, 29, Abraham Ajang Yaak, 30, Gabreal Wal Wal, 31, and Santo Wal, 36.
Two men – Malat Akoi Makuach, 25 and Yohana Wal Wal, 24 – were found not guilty of all charges including murder.
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Originally published as Zillmere park murder: Witness Kyle Avenido speaks after guilty verdict
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