Dad of murdered Reservoir teenager Declan Cutler pleads for an end to knife violence

The father of a boy brutally killed on a Reservoir nature strip by a pack of teen gang members sobbed in court as he described how “eight thugs” senselessly murdered his “cheeky” son.

Reservoir teenager Declan Cutler was stabbed to death in a ‘savage’ pack attack.

The grieving father of a 16-year-old boy brutally killed on a Reservoir nature strip by a pack of youth gang members has pleaded for kids to “drop their weapons”, calling for an end to knife violence amid the state’s youth crime crisis.

Four teens, now aged between 17 and 19, were in February found guilty of the murder of Declan Cutler after a mammoth Supreme Court trial.

The quartet, who cannot be named for legal reasons, all pleaded not guilty to murder, with three of them arguing they simply did not participate in the savage pack attack.

But chilling CCTV footage captured the four teens – together with four accomplices – stabbing, kicking and stomping on Declan as he lay helpless on the street in March 2022.

Declan Cutler’s father Bryan Beattie (middle) is supported by loved ones outside the Supreme Court.

Standing metres away from his son’s killers in a courtroom on Monday, Bryan Beattie sobbed as he described how “eight thugs” senselessly murdered his “cheeky” boy.

“This knife crime needs to stop,” he said, wiping away tears.

“We need to make an example of these cowards and shout out this case from the rooftops, so these kids across the country drop their weapons.

“These eight cowards armed themselves with the largest weapons available to them and were out for blood.

“This is not the world we thought we would be raising our kids in.”

Mr Beattie is supported outside the Supreme Court last year.

One of Declan’s killers looked down at the floor of the dock as Mr Beattie read his victim impact statement, while another hid his face behind his hand.

“My son deserves justice,” Mr Beattie declared.

“He deserves his life to have meaning.

“No parent should have to bury their kid.”

During the pre-sentence hearing, Mr Beattie said he wants to make sure the next generation of kids “do not have their lives cut short like Declan did”.

A victim impact statement penned by Declan’s mother, Samantha Cutler, was handed up to the judge, but not read out in court.

Overwhelmed by the proceedings, she left court consoled by loved ones.

Declan suffered more than 60 blunt force injuries.

At trial, Crown prosecutor Kristie Churchill told the court the killing was carried out by eight youths, who either “belonged” to or “associated” with a street gang from Melbourne’s west.

On March 13, 2022, they all packed into a stolen Mazda and drove from Tarneit to Reservoir where members of a rival gang were at a party.

In the early hours of the morning, the Mazda turned into a street where Declan and two of his friends were walking, having left the party.

The boys chased Declan down in the Mazda, who had become separated from his friends in the chaos.

The eight teens – armed with four knives – then exited the stolen car in “quick succession” before launching into the ferocious two-minute attack.

Declan, who was not affiliated with the rival gang, lost his life that night despite the fact one of his friends was the “intended target”.

A knife left near the crime scene. Picture: David Crosling

Ms Churchill told the court one of the 19-year-olds was the “most active” in the “unprovoked” attack, stabbing the teen more than 50 times.

She said the 17-year-old stabbed Declan four times with a large knife, before the second 19-year-old grabbed the weapon and plunged it into their victim six times.

She noted the third 19-year-old – whose offer to plead guilty to manslaughter was rejected by the prosecution – did not have a knife but was “actively involved” by kicking and stomping.

Declan suffered more than 66 blunt force injuries, 56 sharp force injuries and 30 puncture wounds.

On Monday, the court heard all four teens, who were aged between 15 and 17 at the time, would be relying on Justice Rita Incerti taking into account their youth when determining their sentences.

“It’s a pretty obvious factor,” defence barrister Daniel Sala said.

It was also heard that several of the teens had been involved in “incidents” while on remand at a youth justice centre, but specific details were not aired in court.

Defence barrister Ashlee Cannon said her client – who “broke” from his co-accused by offering to plead guilty to manslaughter – had expressed “genuine remorse” for his offending, having admitted that “no one deserves to die like that”.

But the teen accused of being the “most active” in the attack had not expressed any remorse, with his defence barrister Matthew Page saying the most his client had exhibited was “empathy”.

Declan was killed on a Reservoir nature strip. Picture: David Crosling

Justice Incerti, who presided over the judge-alone trial, found all four teens guilty of murder in February.

Months earlier, she found a 14-year-old boy not guilty of murder because he was too young to know his actions during the attack were “seriously wrong”.

In September, a 16-year-old boy who repeatedly stabbed Declan with a large knife pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 15 years’ jail with a non-parole period of 10 years.

Two 18-year-olds who kicked and stabbed the teen also pleaded guilty but to the lesser charges of manslaughter and intentionally causing serious injury.

They were sentenced to four and three ½ years, respectively, in a youth justice centre.

Justice Incerti will sentence the four teens at a later date.