WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned the following article contains names and images of a deceased person.
Two teenagers recount a story involving blood, boys in balaclavas, a scruffy mullet, and a jealous ex-boyfriend in the events leading up to the alleged beating death of Cassius Turvey.
Cassius, a 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, passed away in the hospital ten days after he was reportedly attacked in Perth’s eastern suburbs on October 13, 2022. He was said to have been “caught, knocked to the ground and deliberately struck to the head with a metal pole.”
Jack Steven James Brearley, 23, Brodie Lee Palmer, 29, Mitchell Colin Forth, 26, and Aleesha Louise Gilmore, 23, are currently standing trial in the Western Australian Supreme Court for his murder.
The next incident allegedly happened three days later on October 12 when a group of school-aged kids went to Gilmore’s home and “almost certainly in retribution” smashed the windows of Brearley’s car, the jury was told on the first day of the trial.
The following day, Gilmore’s brothers warned her that a group of teens could be coming to their family home where Brearley also lived, looking for a fight.
Brearley, Forth and Palmer allegedly armed themselves with metal poles pulled from shopping trolleys and knuckle dusters and drove off to search for youths with Gilmore.
“Somebody smashed my car and they’re about to die,” Brearley allegedly said according to a prosecutor.
They allegedly found a group of about 20 school-aged teens, including Cassius.
Brearley was “hunting for kids with a metal pole” and Cassius and some of the other “terrified school kids” fled into nearby bushland, the court was told.
“Cassius didn’t make it as far as the fence when the accused Brearley caught up with him,” the prosecutor said.
“He was struck to the head at least twice.”
The trial continues on Thursday.
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