‘Plainly dangerous’: Alex Robinson dies after MMA chokehold by mate Quinn McPherson
After a huge night out in Melbourne, tragedy struck as a life was cut short when two young mates began playfighting in their CBD accommodation.
The mother of a young Adelaide tradie, whose life was cut short at the tail end of a big night out, has detailed the horror phone call that changed her life almost two years ago.
Alex “Robbo” Robinson, 20, joined three close mates in Melbourne for a boys’ trip to see the Wu-Tang Clan rap group perform at Rod Laver Arena on May 14, 2023.
The refrigerator mechanic had been in the harbourside city for work in the three weeks prior but met Quinn McPherson, 19, and two others two days earlier after they flew in from South Australia.
Details of Mr Robinson’s death were laid bare in the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday as McPherson pleaded guilty to a charge of performing a dangerous and unlawful act endangering life.
Crown prosecutor Nadia Kaddeche told the court the quartet had been close friends since meeting at Seaview High School.
In the lead-up to the trip, she said, McPherson had been attending MMA, boxing, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes at a fitness academy and occasionally wrestled and put mates in “chokeholds” when drinking together.
“They were all interested in UFC, ultimate fighting competition, and would get together regularly to watch UFC fights,” Ms Kaddeche said.
The four men met at a rented apartment in Melbourne’s CBD on May 13 and spent the afternoon drinking before using electric scooters to head to an AFL match at the MCG.
After the game they returned to the apartment, purchasing vodka and cocaine on the way that they shared in the apartment before venturing to iconic Prahran nightclub Revolver Upstairs, also known as Revs, in the early hours of the morning.
The group returned to their apartment about 5.30am and continued to party, with McPherson messaging and video calling other friends in Adelaide and Queensland.
About 8am, McPherson told a friend he was “about to punch Robbo, no cap” before 20 minutes later telling other friends “Robbo has been put to sleep three times in a row”, Ms Kaddeche said.
While on a video call with a group of men drinking in an Adelaide garage, McPherson and Mr Robinson began “play fighting”, the prosecutor said, with the group observing Mr Robinson being placed in a choke hold.
The call ended, but a short time later McPherson ran into the living room and asked his two friends to “come in here quick”.
On the bed, Mr Robinson was limp and had blue lips.
Despite efforts to resuscitate Mr Robinson from both his friends and paramedics, he was declared dead at 10.23am.
The court was told McPherson was arrested and told police they were “play fighting”, “mucking around” and “boys being boys”.
“We’re like good mates so obviously we don’t want to hurt each other,” he said.
McPherson was initially charged with manslaughter; however, the charge was later downgraded.
The court was told, despite an autopsy, Mr Robinson’s cause of death was unable to be determined.
Mr Robinson’s family cried and comforted each other as seven victim impact statements were read to the court in front of a framed picture showing the smiling young man.
Natalie Elliott, Mr Robinson’s mum, described her son as a “fun loving, kind-hearted and sensitive” boy taken far too soon.
She told the court of her work as an ambulance officer and knowing what was meant when she received a call saying her son was under CPR.
“I am very proud to be Alex’s mum and thankful to have been able to watch him grow up to be a kind and thoughtful man, and it breaks my heart to know he had so much more to enjoy,” she said.
Turning to McPherson, she said not knowing what happened in his final moments “keeps me awake at night, I feel no peace and I never will”.
McPherson’s barrister, Paul Smallwood, told the court that Mr Robinson’s death clearly had caused “unimaginable sorrow” but said it was important to note that his client wasn’t accused of causing Mr Robinson’s death.
“His conduct was plainly dangerous,” Mr Smallwood said.
“Anyone who knows about the tragic circumstances of this case ought really reflect on the dangers of imitating the kind of conduct a lot of people, probably specifically young men, see on their screens when watching what has become remarkably popular in terms of UFC and mixed martial arts.”
He told the court that McPherson had written a letter to the court expressing “how sorry he is” and he would “never want anyone to endure the heartache of Mr Robinson’s family”.
The court was told both prosecution and defence agree a community corrections order would be an appropriate sentence on the facts of the case.
Justice James Elliot, who held a minute’s silence for Mr Robinson, said he hoped to hand down a sentence in two weeks.