A court has been informed that the two teens who are facing murder charges are not “scared little boys,” but rather armed robbers who preyed on the friend of a small-time drug dealer.
In Brisbane Supreme Court today, the youths entered a not guilty plea in relation to the March 13, 2020, stabbing death of 15-year-old Angus Beaumont in Redcliffe.
After Angus and his 16-year-old companion got into a fight with the two accused—who were both 14 at the time—on a pavement shortly after 8 o’clock at night, Angus was stabbed.
Following their successful appeal of their July verdicts, the two adolescents are having the charges retried before a judge alone.
Chris Cook, the crown prosecutor, said the court today that Angus had left home shortly after graduating from high school and that, four and a half hours later, he was found dead by a main Redcliffe road.
One of the accused adolescents claimed the two acted in “self-defence” when police audio was shown to the court.
He informed the police that Angus’s buddy had sold them cannabis, but they had received less than what they had paid for.
“We chased him, we didn’t want to hurt him, we just wanted our stuff back,” stated the teenager.
Cook said the recording also showed that the two teenagers knew Angus’s friend had a bigger supply of narcotics in his suitcase and that they both required drugs.
“The tiny lads were not afraid. With knives in hand, they were prowling the skate park in search of drugs. Cook stated, “They were ready to use them.
The other adolescent boy and girl who accompanied Angus to a skate park were characterised by him as a “wannabe drug dealer” who was armed with knives and a knuckle duster.
For roughly $25, the 16-year-old sold the two accused teenagers a 1.5-gram “stick” of cannabis.
“He wasn’t a skilled drug salesman; in the end, he showed the accused teenagers his hoard of drugs. This was a deadly error, according to Cook.
The two accused teenagers pursued the 16-year-old around the park until they arrived at the road, where he met up with Angus again.
CCTV evidence showing Angus being struck and immediately collapsing was displayed to the court.
Cook stated that Angus’s death was caused by a 137-millimeter wound that pierced both his heart and chest wall during an autopsy.
Despite (Angus’) bigger stature, they persisted. Cook stated, “He was attacked in a two-on-one situation and was stabbed in the heart while he was distracted.”
He believed that the two teenagers should be found guilty of murder—one for assaulting Angus with the minimum intent to cause serious injury, and the other for supporting and instigating the stabbing.
The opening statements for the two teenagers who are charged, Patrick McCafferty KC and Jacob Robson, were submitted in writing to the court.
Nine more days of the trial are scheduled before Justice Sean Cooper.
