Jason Langhans’ killer gatecrashed Tooradin party armed and high, feared he was ‘set-up’

The family of Tooradin teen Jason Langhans, killed with a screwdriver by a party gatecrasher, say they wish nothing but “pain and suffering” on their son’s killer.

Family and friends of Jason Lanhans’ family outside the Supreme Court of Victoria. Picture: David Geraghty

Jason Langhans, 17, had a “heart of gold” and his entire life ahead of him when he was fatally stabbed in the head with a screwdriver by a drunk gatecrasher at his friend’s 16th birthday party.

The Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday heard Jason, an apprentice plumber and keen fisherman, always stood up to bullies and was trying to defuse a conflict when his killer, also 17, drove a screwdriver almost 8cm into his brain in Tooradin in March 2021.

His family wept in court as they spoke of their “kind, caring and polite” boy being taken from them in such a swift and irreversible act of violence.

“We wish (his killer) nothing but pain and suffering for the rest of his life. May he rot in hell,” his grandparents Cheryl and Peter said in their victim impact statement.

Jason’s mother Carolyn Langhans was beside herself. Picture: David Geraghty.

Jason Langhans with his friend, Tyler.

His killer, who cannot be named because he was underage at the time, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and spent the entire hearing with his head bowed.

The court heard he suffered paranoid schizophrenia and went uninvited to the birthday party armed with the screwdriver because he felt he was “being set up” and needed protection.

Earlier that night he drank half a bottle of vodka and smoked two cannabis joints at a mate’s house, the court heard.

It was there he asked his mates, “Got any knives in case anyone starts anything?” before pocketing a screwdriver and setting off to the party, the court heard.

He and three other gatecrashers arrived about 1.30am after the party had ended and guests were waiting for lifts home.

Paul Langhans pleaded with the surgeons to save his son’s life.

The Langhans family saye they feel a pain like no other.

The court heard one of the killer’s mates got in a confrontation with a partygoer and Jason came forward to try restore the peace, saying either “leave it” or “stop”.

With a screwdriver concealed in his closed fist, the killer then punched Jason to the head, piercing his skull and brain in an injury he would never recover from, the court heard.

His father Paul Langhans told the court he pleaded with surgeons at The Alfred to “save my boy”.

Jason's mother Carolyn and sisters Stacey and Emma. Picture: David Crosling

But after multiple surgeries and almost three weeks holding on to hope Jason would recover, his family switched off his life support.

“I prayed my son would open his eyes and he never did,” Mr Langhans said.

“I watched him take his first breath when he entered the world and watched him take his last. My heart is shattered. It’s a pain like no other.”

Outside court, his mother Carolyn Langhans said her son’s killer needed to pay for his actions but that nothing would ever fill the hole left in her heart.

“No sentence will ever bring my son back,” she said.

The court heard the killer, from Afghanistan, is remorseful for his actions and has written a letter of apology to Jason’s family.

He will be sentenced on August 24.