National

Youths convicted over fatal stabbing in street brawl

By AAP Newswire

Sep 23, 2024

Police at the stabbing scene (file image) — Four young men have been convicted of manslaughter over a 19-year-old's stabbing in a street brawl. -AAP Image

An alleged gang dispute stemming from a social media beef has ended with a group of four young men being convicted for manslaughter.

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On Monday, a Supreme Court jury found Ibrahima Diallo, 23, Panashe Morgan Ryan Karise, 24, and two others who were underage at the time, guilty of manslaughter.

The men were also convicted of wounding with intent to murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, but each cleared of the more serious charge of murder.

The Western Sydney home of 19-year-old Oliver Coleman was targeted by the offenders when he was fatally knifed in the chest in August 2021, the jury heard.

Crown prosecutor Eric Balodis said evidence including messages on Snapchat showed the four men went to the Blacktown address with the intention to kill or do serious harm.

But Diallo's defence lawyer Richard Wilson argued Mr Coleman had been stabbed in self-defence while his client and others made a "humiliating retreat" after a large street brawl erupted.

The altercation spilled onto surrounding streets as the groups took to each other with golf clubs, knives and a machete, which were later found by police in various locations with some still covered in blood.

Prosecutors alleged the four accused were part of a criminal enterprise called MOB who engaged in the brawl with another group allegedly called Queen Street Boys, or QSB.

One of the text messages relating to the fight said, "make sure you put one of these n***as in the ground".