One of many three males accountable for the dying of a younger man who fell from a fourth-floor balcony throughout a drug-fuelled social gathering nonetheless thinks about his face each evening earlier than falling asleep, a court has been informed.
Cian John English, 19, died after falling from the fourth flooring of the View Pacific resort in Surfers Paradise on Might 23, 2020.
What ought to have been a enjoyable evening with buddies turned rapidly to tragedy when Mr English and a mate have been tortured and assaulted within the fourth-floor resort room immediately above theirs for 27 minutes.
Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas, 21, Jason Ryan Knowles, 25, and Hayden Paul Kratzmann, 23, have every pleaded responsible to the manslaughter of Mr English.
The court was informed Mr English and his pal have been invited by Kratzmann to his room after the 2 teams had started chatting whereas every have been on their respective balconies.
The lads then continued to take a cocktail of prescription and non-prescription drugs as they partied.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco mentioned simply earlier than 2am issues modified when Kratzmann started to accuse Mr English and his pal of stealing the drugs.
Mr English and his pal, who had protested their innocence, have been then for the subsequent hour assaulted, intimidated, taunted and threatened with a knife.
The court was informed Mr English was additionally stabbed within the arm, though it’s not clear by who.
The court was informed it was an acquaintance of Kratzmann who was later charged with possessing the drugs.
A number of the abuse was captured on video by two juvenile females whose costs are nonetheless earlier than the court.
Ms Marco mentioned the three males hung out “inflicting ache and struggling” on Mr English and his pal.
In an effort to flee the assaults, Mr English ran to the balcony after he realised it was unlikely he’d make it to the entrance door safely, the court was informed.
Ms Marco mentioned “most probably he tried to climb all the way down to the ground beneath which is the place his unit was and fell.”
“They every threatened and intimidated Mr English (and his pal) and inspired the others,” Ms Marco mentioned.
“This pressured him to hunt to flee by climbing over the balcony and falling to his dying.”
The court was informed the three males failed to assist Mr English and as an alternative packed their baggage and left the condo 16 minutes after he fell.
Kratzmann later made a triple-0 name, telling the operator he noticed somebody on the bottom exterior the condo whereas driving his bike however lied about his title and cellphone quantity.
Mr English was declared lifeless by paramedics at 3.53am.
The court was informed the trio stole one other man’s sneakers, belt, pockets, bag and Apple AirPods.
They have been then later seen sporting objects of clothes or with property belonging to the victims, with photographs being posted on social media.
Kratzmann additionally later “drew a crude piece of graffiti concerning the incident involving the deceased on a pole” at a practice station earlier than his arrest.
Ms Marco submitted that Kratzmann and Knowles ought to be sentenced to 11 years in jail, whereas Soper-Lagas, who had no prior prison historical past, ought to obtain 9 years imprisonment.
Kratzmann’s barrister Tim Ryan mentioned his client had expressed a want “return in time and repair his errors”.
Knowles’ barrister Damian Walsh mentioned the 25-year-old had written to the court concerning the penalties “he now has to reside with” after that deadly evening.
Mr Walsh mentioned his client would by no means “forgive himself” and expressed deep regret regardless of the prosecution’s objecting.
The court was informed Ms Marco had objected to Knowles’ referral of the evening as an “accident” in his letter to the court.
Nevertheless, Mr Walsh defined that his client had poor literacy expertise and he was remorseful.
The court was additionally informed 32 character references had been submitted on behalf of Soper-Lagas, together with his parents detailing how the 21-year-old had donated his time to assist neighbours whose homes had flooded in 2022 whereas on bail.
Soper-Lagas’ barrister Jack Kennedy mentioned the very last thing his client thought of when he fell asleep was Mr English’s face, and he’s “the very first thing he thinks about when he wakes within the morning”.
“He’s demonstrated actual and tangible steps to rehabilitation, hasn’t had drugs since (being on bail),” Mr Kennedy mentioned.
The Crown accepted the three males’s responsible pleas and withdrew its unique homicide costs.
The three males additionally every pleaded responsible on Thursday to 2 counts of armed theft in firm, two counts of torture, and one depend of stealing.
Kratzmann additionally pleaded responsible to a separate offence of coming into a premises with intent to commit an offence.
The sentencing earlier than Chief Justice Helen Bowskill continues.
Extra to come back
