Spencer Shumski fronts court over the manslaughter of a family man

The daughter of a much-love family man killed outside a Gippsland pub told the man responsible for his death: “My heart is broken at losing my dad. I miss him a lot”.

Clinton Allen was fatally stabbed shortly after celebrating his wife's birthday at Jack Ryan’s Irish Bar in Sale.

The distraught family of a loving husband stabbed to death outside a Gippsland pub faced his killer in court, describing how their lives have changed since the tragedy nearly two years ago.

Spencer Shumski, 22, a scaffolder, fronted the Supreme Court on Friday for a plea hearing after a jury returned a guilty verdict for manslaughter last December following a late night alcohol-fuelled altercation in Sale.

Shumski stabbed 38-year-old Clinton Allen twice with a knife — once to the chest and once to the torso — leaving Mr Allen with fatal wounds in the early hours of May 8, 2023.

Mr Allen was attacked stabbed when he tried to intervene in a physical altercation with Michael Callow, a friend of Mr Allen’s wife Rebekah Green, on York St.

Spencer Shumski is awaiting sentence for the manslaughter of Clinton Allen in Sale.

The Allens had been at Jack Ryan’s Irish Bar to celebrate her birthday immediately prior to the incident.

“My heart is broken into a million little pieces, grief so heartbreaking I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Not even on my worst enemy, and my worst enemy is you,” Mrs Allen said, fighting back tears while reading her victim impact statement.

She became a grandmother one month after Mr Allen’s death and has since been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety.

“I still have visions of Clint’s head bobbing on the footpath as they tried so hard to revive him. But I knew it was too late. He was dead,’’ she said.

“You took his life away just 55 minutes after my birthday finished. The screams of my girls as I told them that dad wasn’t coming home is forever etched in my memory and haunts me to this day.”

Spencer Shumski was on bail on alleged firearms and drug charges when he stabbed to death Clinton Allen in Sale.

Her daughter Stefanie Allen clutched a teddy bear she made for mum with dad’s voice in it which she played in court towards the end of her victim impact statement.

“My heart is broken at losing my dad. I miss him a lot. He’ll miss me getting married and having children,” she said.

Mr Allen’s stepdaughter Michaela Lister, who was 35 weeks’ pregnant when he died, said she wished she could see him or hear his voice again.

Prosecutor David Glynn said Shumski being on bail for alleged firearm and drug offences at the time he killed Mr Allen was an aggravating factor the court should take into account while sentencing him.

Defence lawyer David Cronin said Shumski didn’t leave the pub with the intention of seriously injuring Mr Allen and that he handed himself in to Sale police.

He said Shumski’s intention was to move Mr Allen away or wound him and maintained that he acted in self defence.

Shumski will be sentenced on March 14.