Girum Mekonnen’s family speak at murderers’ sentencing

The horrifying lead-up to a bloody ambush in a Brisbane park that left one man dead and others injured has been detailed in court as a judge sentenced the ten men responsible.

Girum Mekonnen lost his life in a gang fight at Zillmere Park.

Ten men have been slammed for the “gangster bravado and bloodlust” they displayed as they killed a man in a north Brisbane park over a previous assault he played no role in.

The men were described by Justice Lincoln Crowley as “gutless cowards” as he sentenced them to life imprisonment with the minimum mandatory non-parole period of 20 years.

Alex Edward Deng, 22, Joseph Lokolong, 28, Ben Abio, 23, Majok Riel Majok, 23, Juma Makuol Deng Makuol, 28, Chan Kuchmol Kon, 28, Kresto Wal Wal, 29, Abraham Ajang Yaak, 30, Gabreal Wal Wal, 31, and Santo Wal, 36, were also found guilty of nine other violent offences, including an offence of causing grievous bodily harm and several counts of committing malicious acts with intent to do grievous bodily harm and unlawful wounding relating to other victims.

They had travelled to O’Callaghan Park in Zillmere on September 13, 2020, to kill 19-year-old Girum Mekonnen armed with knives, a machete and bats including one wrapped in barbed wire.

Kresto Wal Wal. Picture: Steve Pohlner

A handful of victims were seriously wounded including Kyle Avenido who was stabbed in the chest causing injury to his lung and liver.

Earlier on Monday, one of Mr Mekonnen’s sisters said the murder of her brother – born in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to Australia with his family as a toddler – at the hands of other black men was a “betrayal no time or place will erase”.

“There will never be enough or appropriate words to describe the pain I feel and the loss I will live with for the rest of my life. All involved in planning, executing and concealing my brother’s murder will forever be responsible for killing my dreams, and I hope you all will be haunted by the truth,” she said in a victim impact statement read by a Crown prosecutor.

Girum’s mother sarcastically congratulated her son’s killers.

Police at scene of the attack that killed Gerum Mekonnen. Picture: Richard Walker

“You’re the first people to laugh, celebrate and not have any remorse after killing (Girum),” she said.

“I will always miss your presence. Cherish your memories. I will miss your amazing sense of humour, your hugs and the trust you had in me. Life is not the same without you.”

Girum’s father said the family felt as if they were dead.

“This sort of incident has caused an unremovable black stain in our lives, mine and the whole family’s life is no better than his. We are all killed and our spirit is dead,” he said.

“While he is buried under the earth, we live life above ground with our spirit buried with him in the ground. This loss will be unforgettable,” he said.

The motive for the attack on Mr Mekonnen and his friends - several of whom were seriously injured during the assault - was the bashing of John Wal shortly before the incident at Redbank Plains that Mr Mekonnen was not even part of.

Santo Wal. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Justice Crowley said John’s brothers Kresto and Gabreal were responsible for arranging the group to travel to the park to “make them pay”. All entered the park except John’s other brother Santo who went back to the cars to act as a getaway driver.

They ambushed Mr Mekonnen and friends who were sitting in a canteen area.

“One of you began slamming a weapon on the rail or the veranda. Others then copied slamming their bats also on the rail or weapons on the ground,” Justice Crowley said.

“The attack was brief, but intensively violent, your group attacked the others, stabbing and cutting them

“When some of them attempted to flee, members of your group chased them down and attacked them until they all were down on the ground.

Mr Mekonnen was one of those who attempted to flee. Several of you chased him and attacked him. At least two of (you) stabbed him, one fatally, with a long bladed knife.”

Justice Crowley said it was not possible to find exactly who did what during the attack but they were all liable for the offences committed.

“Your group murdered an unarmed and innocent young man in a gutless group attack,” he said.

“The young man was just having fun, a good time with his friends. Members of your group set upon his group, chased him, mercilessly attacked him, killed him in a senseless act of wanton violence.

“He posed no risk, and was not even one of those people that was involved with the John Wal attack.

“Your attack involved an indiscriminate high level of violence once under way. You didn’t care who was there, whether they were involved in the John WaL assault or not

Gabreal Wal Wal was found guilty of murder. Photo: Steve Pohlner

“The whole attack and the individual acts of serious violence, which caused the death of Mr Mekonnen and serious injuries to others was brazenly carried out by each of you with a mixture of gangster bravado and blood lust.

“You may have thought you were tough men avenging the attack on John Wal but in reality you were nothing more than cowardly thugs.

“Your actions have brought shame and disgrace on yourselves, your families and your community. Not only have you taken the life of a young man, you’ve also thrown away your own lives.”

Justice Crowley said their crimes must be denounced “whatever may have been your experiences of violence, war, lawlessness and despair” that they and their families had fled when coming to Australia for a better life.

“This was a short lived but intense episode of gang violence with individual acts carried out by members of your group as part of the preconceived plan … to inflict serious physical harm upon the members of the other group,” he said.

“That type of behaviour is not part of the culture in our community and can never be condoned or tolerated in our community, no matter the circumstances.”

While the Crown had asked for the minimum parole period of 20 years to be increased up to 25 years, Justice Crowley declined to.

Justice Crawley said the offenders were not being sentenced on the basis they had an intention to kill or even cause grievous bodily harm but rather the offences committed were a probable consequence of the common unlawful purpose that the group were party to.

All offenders had various periods of pre-sentence custody declared as time served.

Originally published as Girum Mekonnen’s family speak at murderers’ sentencing