Court releases CCTV of Deng Atem Machok stabbing man in Adelaide CBD

Shocking CCTV footage shows a man being viciously stabbed in the heart on a night out, before collapsing on the ground. Watch the attack.

Shocking footage shows a father stabbing a man in the heart before the victim collapses on the ground in a nearby street.

Deng Atem Machok, 21, was “off his head” when he was arrested over the violent act by a special task force involving feuding youth gangs.

During earlier hearings, the court was told Deng, of Kilburn, was among a group of men – which prosecutors had alleged were members of the Killa Block Squad gang – who targeted another unarmed man whose brother was alleged to be a member of rival gang, 051.

The two groups of men clashed on Clubhouse Lane, just off Hindley St, about 12.50am on January 30, 2022.

CCTV released by the court shows Machok making his way to the victim, surrounded by a big group of males, and stabbing him twice to the chest with a knife.

The victim, from Lightsview, is then seen on the footage collapsed on Blyth St after suffering life threatening injuries.

He was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where he required open heart surgery and the court heard he would have died without medical intervention.

Deng Machok pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious harm. Photo: Courts SA

Police had revealed Machok’s arrest was part of Operation Meld, a special task force created to combat a spate of stabbings allegedly involving feuding youth gangs, which police had quietly launched six months before the stabbing.

Machok was previously charged with attempted murder over the incident but after negotiations pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated recklessly causing serious harm.

Patrick Dawe, for Machok, told the court his client consumed alcohol and Xanax and couldn’t remember much of the night of his offending.

“In his words to me … he was ‘off his head’,” he said.

“He did know the victim well and does not know what caused him to lash out in the way he did.”

Mr Dawe said Machok was the victim of a stabbing attack in early January 2022 and started carrying a knife with him for protection.

However, he told the court that there was no link between Machok being stabbed a few weeks earlier and his offending.

The court heard no person was arrested over Machok’s attack as he didn’t co-operate with police.

The court heard Machok was born in South Sedan and moved to Australia at a young age for a better life after his father was killed in civil conflict.

Mr Dawe said Machok, who had an intellectual disability, was remorseful for his actions and had employment available to him once released from jail.

Machok will be sentenced next month.

Originally published as Court releases CCTV of Deng Atem Machok stabbing man in Adelaide CBD