Gatwech-Chouil stabs Bol Guak, 25, in heart and lungs with a smile on his face, court hears

A remorseless killer smiled and said “I did it man” after fatally stabbing his friend who had just bought him pizza, a court has heard.

Bol Guak, 25, was fatally stabbed twice in the chest by Gatwech-Chouil in his Noble Park bedroom in September 2022.

A remorseless killer smiled and said “I did it man” after fatally stabbing his friend who had just bought him pizza, a court has heard.

Bol Guak, 25, was lying defenceless on his bed in Noble Park when he was stabbed twice in the heart and lung with a large kitchen knife wielded by Sudanese refugee John Gatwech-Chouil in the early hours of September 16, 2022.

The Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday heard the pair were arguing in a foreign language before Gatwech-Chouil asked his victim “Do you think I’m joking?”

Moments later, the killer produced a knife, stabbing Mr Guak twice in the chest before telling a distressed witness “I did it man” with a smile on his face.

Gatwech-Chouil was initially charged with murder but the charge was downgraded to manslaughter in a plea deal.

His grieving family is furious at the deal, saying Gatwech-Chouil is “evil” and deserves harsher punishment.

“He took away Bol,” cousin Ban Diu told the Herald Sun.

Another relative added: “You wouldn’t kill an animal with that knife. And (Gatwech-Chouil) did this after he ate the food from Bol.”

Mr Guak immigrated from Egypt when he was 13 and would send most of his Harvey Norman wage home to his family.

Guak and Gatwech-Chouil were heard arguing in a foreign language before the incident unfolded.

His parents were unable to obtain visas to travel to Melbourne to bury their only son, the court heard.

Mr Guak’s cousin Regina David said his mother died of a broken heart soon after.

“The horror of what happened to her son was too much for her,” Ms David said in a victim impact statement.

“For Bol to die in such a violent and senseless way is something I will never get past.”

The court heard Gatwech-Chouil has spent most of his adult life in prison for violent offending.

He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in 2011 for attacking seven people at random in an armed rampage lasting almost two hours in Melbourne’s CBD.

Gatwech-Chouil and a teenage co-accused were armed with an iron bar during the horrific crime spree in which one victim suffered acute bleeding to the brain and three others were seriously injured.

The court heard following his release he was charged with making threats to kill — an ominous foreboding to Mr Guak’s death.

Gatwech-Chouil has shown no remorse for the killing but his lawyer Amy Brennan argued his early plea of guilty to manslaughter indicates he accepts responsibility.

In an angry outburst from the dock, Gatwech-Chouil verbally lashed Ms Brennan after she requested Justice Rita Incerti order he co-operate with prison examinations related to his medical history.

“She’s been downgrading me the whole time… f**king talking about me like I’m a f**king dumb c**t,” he yelled.

Justice Incerti told the accused she didn’t “appreciate” his language and ordered he comply with the order ahead of sentencing.

“I’m the person who is going to sentence you. I’m the person who needs the information,” Justice Incerti said.

Gatwech-Chouil will be sentenced at a later date.