Ngor Dao fronts court over horrific after-school brawl in Sunshine

A teen wielding two machetes chased a group in an act of retribution during a horrific after-school brawl in Sunshine that left a student dead.

Ngor Dao leaves County Court with his siblings in tow after being sentenced to community corrections order for a horrific brawl in Sunshine that claimed the life of Staughton College student Pasawm Lyhym. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

A machete-wielding teenager involved in a terrifying after-school brawl that left a student dead at a suburban railway station has been spared jail.

Ngor Dao, 19, of Burnside Heights, took part in a fight that claimed the life of 16-year-old Staughton College student Pasawm Lyhym after he was stabbed to death at the Sunshine railway station on May 18, 2023.

Dao was sentenced to a 15-month community corrections order when he appeared in the County Court on Tuesday after earlier pleading guilty to charges of affray and intentionally causing injury.

Judge Peter Lauritsen said a CCO was appropriate given Dao’s age, prospects of rehabilitation, good family support, full time work and genuine remorse.

Student Pasawm Lyhym, 16, was fatally stabbed at Sunshine train station during a brawl in broad daylight. Picture: supplied

The judge said Dao was part of a group of teenage boys who had a conflict with another group and both sides got into a brawl in the presence of a number of people, including students.

He said Dao was armed with a machete and picked up another machete before swinging it at a person from the rival group, cutting his index finger which was treated at the scene.

A 17-year-old who was part of Dao’s group and who has pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in August to a charge of murder chased down and stabbed Pasawm with a knife in the back in retribution for a “slight” against his mate.

Pasawm tried in vain to block his killer with a shopping trolley during the horror attack.

Two 17-year-olds have been dealt with in the children’s court.

Judge Lauristen said while there was no suggestion that Dao organised the brawl, arming oneself with an offensive weapon such as a machete was a criminal offence.

Ngor Dao has been spared jail for his role in a terrifying brawl that left a student dead at Sunshine railway station. PICTURE: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

He said Dao has brought shame to his family through his actions, has difficulty sleeping and has thought about committing suicide.

Dao was working full time as a warehouse packer and had not offended while on bail, he said.

During a plea hearing two weeks ago, his lawyer Daniel Sala submitted that a youth justice facility would be an appropriate sentence given Dao’s age and steps for rehabilitation if the court ruled out community corrections order.