Fourth person charged after deadly alleged stabbing at Whalan in Sydney’s west

A fourth person has been charged over an alleged fight over a PlayStation that left a father dead and his son fighting for life.

A fourth person has been charged as part of ongoing investigations into the fatal stabbing of a man in Sydney’s west this week.

Officers executed search warrants at homes on McCrae Place, Blackett, and Tarawa Street, Lethbridge Park yesterday.

About 8.30pm, a 19-year-old man attended Mt Druitt Police Station where he was arrested and charged with affray.

He was refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Bail Court today

Yesterday Jacob Borja, 18, appeared at Parramatta Local Court charged with the murder of 40-year-old father Matthew Smale, who died after being stabbed in the neck at Whalan Reserve.

Police allege at about 7.30pm on Wednesday night more than a dozen people were present at the park, where two former flatmates had arranged to fight.

Police say they will allege in court the fight was over some unpaid rent, a PlayStation game and who owned a cat.

But instead, a man, who police allege was Mr Borja, jumped out of the back of a ute with a knife and stabbed three people.

An 18 year-old has faced court accused of stabbing a 40 year-old at a western Sydney park. Picture: Channel 7 News

They included Mr Smale, who died of his injuries, his 19-year-old son Jaiden Smale, who was stabbed in the chest, and another relative, Robert Corrigan, 25.

Jaiden Smale and Mr Corrigan remain in hospital in a stable condition.

Mr Borja is also charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm over the non-fatal stabbings as well as affray.

He briefly appeared on Friday on screen at Parramatta Local Court where his lawyer Sarah Khan entered pleas of not guilty to the charges. He did not apply for bail.

Jhye Martin-Blackett, 19, and Jacob Eid, 19, also faced Parramatta Local Court on Friday charged over their alleged roles in the brawl.

The stabbing brawl took place about 7.30pm on Wednesday. Picture: Channel 7 News

Mr Eid is charged with accessory after the fact to murder, affray and fail to comply with form of demand, and Martin-Blackett is charged with affray.

Court documents allege Eid “did receive, harbour, maintain and assist the said Jacob Borja” following the murder and “knowing that said Jacob Borja to have committed the said serious indictable offence”.

Police also allege Eid, at about 6.20pm on December 23, failed to disclose Mr Borja’s address as well as the identities and addresses of the driver and all the passengers of a vehicle he owned.

Mr Eid, also represented by Ms Khan, pleaded not guilty to the charges and did not apply for bail.

Mr Martin-Blackett, appeared barefoot from custody at Mt Druitt police station and also did not apply for bail.

All three men handed themselves in on Thursday following extensive police investigations and were arrested at various western Sydney police stations.

They will spend Christmas in custody and return to Mt Druitt court in January and February next year.

Following the stabbings, police allege a friend of the injured men jumped into a car and tried to run over some members of the rival side but instead flipped the vehicle onto its roof.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tickner called it ‘trivial and senseless’. Picture: Channel 7 News

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tickner on Thursday said two of the parties involved in the brawl used to live together and that there had been a “bit of a falling out” over the last few days.

Some property was allegedly taken from the unit where they were living in Kingswood.

He added: “On social media they’d been having a bit of a go at each other and arranged to have a fight last night.

“It’s escalated to a point where it’s just ridiculous that a person’s lost their life, two people are in hospital – one’s still fighting for their life – over a dispute over not paying rent and some property that was taken in retribution for it.”

Inspector Tickner called it a “trivial and senseless” act.

Originally published as Fourth person charged after deadly alleged stabbing at Whalan in Sydney’s west