10 men guilty of murdering Brisbane teenager Girum Mekonnen, 19, in ‘planned, co-ordinated’ armed attack in Zillmere park

Ten men have been found guilty of murdering a teenager who was set upon in a public park by an armed gang in a “planned and co-ordinated” attack. Ben Abio, 23, Alex Edward Deng, 22, Kresto Wal Wal, 29, Majok Riel Majok, 23, Joseph Lokolong, 28, Abraham Ajak Yaak, 30, Juma Makuol Deng Makuol, 28, Santo Wal, 36, Chan Kuchmol Kon, 28, Gabreal Wal Wal, 31, Yohana Wal Wal, 24 and Malat Akoi Makuach, 25, were all on trial in Brisbane Supreme Court over the death of Girum Mekonnen four years ago. Mr Mekonnen, 19, was drinking and socialising with friends in O’Callaghan Park in Zillmere – in Brisbane’s north – when the rival group launched their attack on September 13, 2020. They were carrying weapons, including bats, poles, knives and machetes, and most were dressed in dark clothes and had their faces covered. Mr Mekonnen was fatally stabbed and two others were seriously injured. After a 14-day judge-alone trial in the Supreme Court last year, Justice Lincoln Crowley on Wednesday found 10 of the co-accused guilty of Mr Mekonnen’s murder. He also found them 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. Only Yohana Wal Wal and Mr Makuach were found not guilty of all charges and acquitted. The group had pleaded not guilty to all charges at the start of their trial. The Crown contended the group travelled from Ipswich to Zillmere in three cars upon learning Mr Mekonnen’s group was there as part of the “planned and co-ordinated attack”. Wal, Yohana Wal Wal and Mr Makuach were previously alleged to be the getaway drivers and stayed in the vehicles during the attack. “After the attack, the attackers were allegedly picked up by the waiting vehicles and fled from Zillmere, eventually returning to the Ipswich area,” Justice Crowley said in his judgment. The court was told the attack was retaliation for an “earlier violent assault” on John Wal, the brother of the defendants Kresto Wal Wal, Gabreal Wal, Santo Wal and Yohana Wal Wal, days earlier. John Wal was left hospitalised after being “severely beaten” by “another group of men of African appearance” outside a shopping centre in Redbank Plains. He is not accused of any wrongdoing. He is not accused of any wrongdoing over the O’Callaghan Park incident. Justice Crowley said the case against each of the defendants was circumstantial, as those who inflicted the fatal blow on Mr Mekonnen and serious injuries on the others could not be identified. “Nevertheless, the Crown alleged each defendant was liable for the offences committed by members of the attacking group on one or more bases, including that they were parties to a common unlawful purpose to inflict serious physical harm upon members of the group gathered in O’Callaghan Park,” he said. “The court was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that each of the 10 defendants was part of the group that carried out the attack and was a party to the alleged common unlawful purpose. “The court found the Crown had proven beyond reasonable doubt that each of the offences of which the defendants have been convicted was committed by one or more of the attackers in the course of carrying out the alleged common unlawful purpose and therefore each defendant was criminally responsible for the offences that were committed.” Yohana Wal Wal and Mr Makuach were acquitted because Justice Crowley said he was not satisfied the evidence proved both men knew the group were armed with the weapons that they intended to use in the attack. The 10 defendants will be sentenced on March 31.