Grieving family of man fatally stabbed to death in Heidelberg West angry at killers’ sentence

The devastated family of a young man fatally stabbed in a senseless revenge attack in Heidelberg West have yelled in court “that’s not justice” after his killers were jailed for four years or less.

Grieving family of a young man fatally stabbed in a senseless revenge attack have yelled in court “that’s not justice” after his killers were jailed for four years or less.

Khalid Mahat, 25, was run over by a car, kicked, punched and stabbed by four youths in a vicious daylight attack outside a home in Heidelberg West.

Yuusuf Ali, 20, and three other youths who cannot be named as they were under 18 at the time of the assault were on Thursday jailed for four years or less after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

As the quartet — who were initially charged with murder — were led from the dock of the Supreme Court, a woman yelled “that’s not justice” and “I hope you never get to see your family ever again” before she was ushered outside by other family members.

Dozens of family members of both the victim and the offenders were present in court for the nearly hour-long sentencing hearing.

The deadly incident was sparked after Mr Mahat and several others drove to the home of one of the offenders in a rented Toyota Corolla in the early hours of October 16, 2022.

Khalid Mahat, 25, died after he was stabbed to death at a North Crescent home in Heidelberg West.

A family member saw them armed with machetes and called triple-0 before the group left moments later.

In retaliation, three of the offenders kidnapped one of Mr Mahat’s associates at Northland shopping centre later that day because of his alleged involvement in the earlier incident.

He was forced into the car at knifepoint and driven to Bundoora Park where he was slapped, punched, and hit with a hammer.

The victim was then forced into a boot and taken to Yulong Park where the assault continued.

Driving in convoy in two vehicles, the offenders then went to a home in Heidelberg West at about 3.10pm.

Mr Mahat came out to the front yard before he was run over and attacked by masked offenders armed with knives, suffering multiple blunt force traumas and stab wounds to his face, chest and limbs.

Justice Rita Incerti said a single upper chest stab wound was likely the fatal blow and the attack was an act of retaliation and clearly premeditated.

“This type of offending has reached a concerning level in our community,” she said.

“It must be made clear that it is unacceptable for young people to take matters into their own hands and to resort to such terrible conduct.”

The judge said burying a child was something no parent should have to endure.

She sentenced the group on the basis that they agreed to assault Mr Mahat but not to drive over or stab him.

The judge cited several victim impact statements from Mr Mahat’s family as acknowledgment of the “enormity of the serious crime” which had been committed.

“Mr Mahat’s mother, Zahrah, has had her life changed forever,” she said.

“She writes of the special bond between mother and son, and how Mr Mahat was the ‘light of her life’.

“That light has now been extinguished by his senseless and tragic death.

“Burying a child is a pain that no parent should have to endure.”

Seated in the dock flanked by custody officers, some of the boys bowed their heads as Justice Incerti denounced their actions.

Ali, who was 18 at the time of the attack, was sentenced to four years in an adult prison with a non-parole period of two years and nine months.

His co-offenders, who were then aged 16 or 17 but are now adults, were handed Youth Justice sentences of either two or three years in length.

Several others involved in the incident have already been convicted or had their charges dropped.

Khalid’s sister Faiza Mahat slammed the youths’ “disgusting” sentences, saying they showed other young criminals that they could “basically walk free” after taking someone’s life.

Speaking to the Herald Sun on Thursday, Ms Mahat said her family would call for the sentences to be appealed.

“My brother deserves more justice than this,” she said.

“The sentence today brought everything back. To be honest, it felt like our brother died again today.

“My brother was horribly murdered. This will send a message that killers can basically walk free after taking someone’s life in a horrific way.”

Ms Mahat said she was outraged that her brother’s killers received less time than the teenagers involved in the murder of 16-year-old Declan Cutler.

Reservoir teenager Declan Cutler was repeatedly stabbed in the street by eight young thugs.

Eight teenagers stabbed Declan in a frenzied attack outside a Reservoir house party in March 2022, with some of the killers receiving up to 19 years behind bars.

“For the amount of people, not only my brother, but a lot of young boys losing their lives in this kind of way, and for them (judges) to basically let them get away with it and give them that kind of sentence, I think it’s ridiculous. It’s a slap on the wrist,” Ms Mahat said.

Ms Mahat said she feared Victoria’s youth crime crisis had spiralled out of control because young criminals were not being adequately punished.

Referring to 16-year-old Oscar Hamilton’s alleged stabbing murder at Woodgrove Shopping Centre this week, Ms Mahat said: “What’s happening here, what’s happening in Melbourne, there’s no words”.

“These people need to be held accountable for what they’ve done.”

Ms Mahat attended Thursday’s sentencing hearing with about 20 relatives, including her mother, Zahrah.

She said her family has been unable to move on from her brother’s death.

“My mum is devastated. She still looks outside to check if his car’s still parked, if he will ever walk through the door again and say: “mum, I’m home”,” she said.

“Our hearts will be forever empty, my family has been devastated by the justice system.