Courtroom brawl as Laa Chol’s murderer sentenced
Violence has broken out between the families of slain Melbourne student Laa Chol and her teenaged killer, after the teen was sentenced to 20 years in jail for her murder. The victim’s father later slammed Australian laws as “weak”.
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The Sudanese families of slain student Laa Chol and her teenage killer have clashed inside court after he was jailed for 20 years over her “senseless and vicious” murder.
Violent scenes erupted in the Supreme Court between his family and Ms Chol’s supporters as they tried to leave the courtroom moments after the sentence was delivered.
Tensions rose after the boy’s wailing mother collapsed, blocking the path to the exit.
As punches were thrown amid screams in the all-in brawl, security and police swarmed the courtroom to split up the pack.
Once separated, they were ushered out different exits of the court building.
The boy was just 17 when he stabbed Ms Chol in the heart after gatecrashing her party at an Airbnb apartment in the EQ Tower on A’Beckett St in Melbourne on July 21 last year.
Less than nine weeks earlier he had been released on parole for other violent offending.
The packed courtroom had remained silent as Justice Stephen Kaye sentenced him to a 20-year jail term, setting a non-parole period of 15 years.
“By a needless act of cowardly violence, you took the life of a decent and caring young woman, and have caused indescribable pain and sorrow to so many of those who loved her,” Justice Kaye said.
“Your senseless and vicious crime has deprived her of her most basic right, her right to life.”
The experienced judge told the teen killer, now 18, that he had to deliver a punishment that would deter him, and others, from committing such acts of violence.
But moments later, after Justice Kaye left the bench, the chaotic and barbaric scenes erupted between the families.
Justice Kaye said Ms Chol was “a devoted, selfless and generous daughter, sister, family member and friend” who was a role model to her siblings.
It was concerning, he said, her killer had resorted to using a knife “in such a spontaneous and seemingly casual manner”.
“You inflicted the stab wound in the context of an incident in which you and your friends were engaging in unacceptable and reprehensible acts of violence towards a young woman,” Justice Kaye said.
“At the time at which you stabbed her, she was being restrained by one of your friends. To all intents and purposes, she was defenceless.
“Not content with having stabbed Laa Chol, you then, while she was being restrained by two of your friends, aimed a kick at her stomach.
“Your actions were utterly cowardly and callous.”
The court heard they attacked Ms Chol after she confronted them about her missing mobile phone as they tried to leave the party.
Justice Kaye labelled the Sudan-born teen’s prospects for rehabilitation as “quite problematic”, highlighting his violent criminal history but also troubled upbringing.
The Herald Sun earlier revealed the teenage killer’s shocking rapsheet and how he has run riot on Victoria’s streets since he was 14, committing aggravated burglaries, carjackings, armed robberies and thefts.
And while serving detention in youth justice, he continued his violent ways, being convicted over affrays, assault with a weapon, and even a brazen escape from the facility.
Outside court, Ms Chol’s father Daniel Kunyrith criticised Australian laws, saying they support the perpetrator instead of the victim.
“I say the laws are weak,” he said.
“What the law is saying is, ‘Go kill’.
“The law will support you. You are going to appear in jail, happy, healthy, you can do education. “That’s why people keep killing others.”
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Asked how he felt about the teen’s sentence, he said: “I can’t say, I’m not happy or I’m happy. It doesn’t matter, my daughter never comes back.”
Mr Kunyrith asked “the hunter” of his daughter one question: “Why’d you kill?”
“She was my daughter, I love her,” Mr Kunyrith said.
He said his daughter had her whole life ahead of her as she embarked on her legal studies diploma at Victoria University.