Brendan Marrtjiku sentenced to five years in prison for Rapid Creek fatal bashing of 39-year-old

A mother who watched as one of her son’s killers was jailed for the ‘persistent, brutal and cowardly attack’ in a Darwin car park has shared her grief, and forgiveness.

Judy Gungunbuy (seated), the mother of a 39-year-old Milingimbi man killed in a Rapid Creek car park brawl, with his aunt Joanne Garrawurra (left) and other family members outside the Supreme Court in Darwin. Picture: Zizi Averill

A grieving Territory mother haunted by the footage of her son’s final moments said she was still able to find room in her heart to love his killers.

Nineteen months after her son was killed, Judy Gungunbuy watched as one of two men involved in the “persistent, brutal and cowardly attack” was condemned to five years in prison.

On Wednesday, Brendan Marrtjiku was sentenced in the Supreme Court for his role in the fatal bashing of a 39-year-old man from Milingimbi at the Rapid Creek Business Village.

The 33-year-old and his 18-year-old co-accused Jared Gurruwiwi pleaded guilty last month to committing a violent act causing death.

A third man Joseph Wunungmurra is expected to face a murder trial in 2025.

Justice Sonia Brownhill said the three co-accused and the Milingimbi man were drinking together at the Rapid Creek car park on March 7, 2023 when an argument broke out.

Justice Brownhill said the intoxicated 39-year-old man hit Marrtjiku with a bottle and started threatening people with his belt before walking away.

CCTV has emerged of the moments surrounding a man’s suspicious death in Rapid Creek Shopping Village on Tuesday night, March 7. Picture: Supplied

It was alleged Gurruwiwi, Marrtjiku and Mr Wunungmurra formed an agreement to attack the older man, with CCTV reportedly capturing their pursuit of him around the Rapid Creek shops.

Gurruwiwi and Marrtjiku admitted to kicking him in the stomach, back and head as he was on the ground.

It is alleged Mr Wunungmurra also stomped on the man’s head, and returned later to beat him with a stick.

Justice Brownhill said the booze-fuelled attack was “persistent, brutal and cowardly”, with the 39-year-old passing away just an hour later.

The court heard when NT Police had to conduct their death-knock on his mother’s doorstep, she fainted from the grief.

Judy Gungunbuy (seated), the mother of a 39-year-old Milingimbi man killed in a Rapid Creek car park brawl, with his aunt Joanne Garrawurra (left) and other family members outside the Supreme Court in Darwin. Picture: Zizi Averill

Justice Brownhill said Ms Gungunbuy had set up a memorial for her son at Rapid Creek and “she goes there and cries for what happened to him”.

“She felt like dying herself.

“The videos she saw on Facebook of the three (alleged) offenders walking away plays in her head.”

Outside the court, Ms Gungunbuy said she raised her son as a “humble” and “gentle person” in Milingimbi, but was not “fit enough” to look after him without the help of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

“I am a mother who always looked after my son,” she said.

“My heart broke into thousands of pieces, and every pieces from my heart told me that I lost him.”

Despite this, Ms Gungunbuy said she still had space in her shattered heart for those involved in her son’s alleged killing: “I love my enemies”.

While Ms Gungunbuy was able to forgive, the man’s aunt Joanne Garrawurra said she still felt a deep anger seeing Marrtjiku and Gurruwiwi in court.

“I saw them and I was angry for them … and I shouted at them ‘why did you kill my son? That’s my only son’,” Ms Garrawurra said.

Justice Brownhill sentenced Marrtjiku to five years and seven months in prison.

He has spent 18-months on remand, and faces a three year non-parole period.