'Ute Five' sentenced to jail over killing of Aboriginel in Alice Springs

FIVE white men have been jailed for killing a man in an attack fuelled by "antagonism towards Aboriginal people".

Relatives and supporters from both the accused men and Donny Kwementyaye Ryder's family prepare to enter the court room. Picture: Justin Brierty

A CHIEF Justice has sentenced five men to prison for killing a man in what the judge said was an attack fuelled by "antagonism towards Aboriginal people".

Kwementyaye Ryder, 33, died after five young white men went hooning around the Todd River bed in Alice Springs to harass Aboriginal people camping there, the NT News reports.

Scott Doody, Timothy Hird, Anton Kloeden, Joshua Spears and Glen Swain each pleaded guilty to manslaughter for attacking Mr Ryder after he threw a bottle at their car in July last year.

Hird, Kloeden and Spears were sentenced to six years with a non-parole period of four years.

Swain was sentenced to five-and-a-half years with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half.

Doody was sentenced to four years in prison, suspended after 12 months.

Outside court this morning, Mr Ryder's mother Theresa Ryder, said she was happy with the sentences.

According to evidence given in court, the five men had been on a 12-hour drinking binge and attacked Ryder after he threw a bottle at their white Hilux utility.

Dubbed the "Ute Five", the men have been in protective custody at the Alice Springs jail for the past eight months. The jail population is 80 per cent Aboriginal.

Kloeden's lawyer, Russell Goldflam, said one Aboriginal prisoner made regular throat-slashing gestures at his client, while another had threatened to chop off Kloeden's head and cook him like a kangaroo.

In an unusual step, Chief Justice Martin allowed cameras to record his sentencing remarks.

Alice Springs police played down the likelihood of trouble at the courthouse today, but said they would monitor the situation.

"The police have been closely liaising with the families. We've got plenty of staff on. We've also got police on the beat in the Mall," a spokeswoman said.

Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan has rejected suggestions it was a racist town.

"Other people say that, but I've lived here all my life and I enjoy living in the town. I have lots of friends in this community."

Chief Justice Martin raised the question of race during the case, asking whether the men would have reacted the same way had Ryder been white.

Before bashing Ryder, the five convicted men drove recklessly through two Aboriginal camps in the Todd's dry river bed, narrowly missing running over an elderly man.

Kloeden, who was driving, pleaded guilty to the additional charge of endangering life.

When Ryder threw a bottle at the car, Swain, Spears and Hird chased him down before kicking and bashing him to death.

In their sentencing submissions last week, lawyers for the five men said their clients counted Aboriginal people among their friends and colleagues.

One of Kloeden's friends this week issued a message of support on social networking site Facebook.

"Big shout out going to 5 of the maddest blokes I know," the friend said.

"Who ever knows them knows them and will support them all they (sic) way because it was a sad thing to happen but it wasn't meant to be like that."