Trio to face trial over teen death
THREE people accused of torturing 19-year-old Cian English (right) before he allegedly jumped 10m to his death from a Surfers Paradise high-rise balcony will stand trial in the Supreme Court.
Hayden Paul Kratzmann, Lachlan Paul Soper-lagas and a woman who cannot be named as she was a juvenile at the time are alleged to have been part of a group partying in Pacific View Apartments in Surfers Paradise on May 23, 2020 before Mr English’s death.
They had met Mr English and his friends that night.
The Southport Magistrates Court was told the group was under the influence of a large amount of drugs when things took a turn.
Police prosecutions allege Mr English had suffered “such physical harm that it substantially contributed to his decision to jump from balcony”.
Prosecution had the view that the events in the half hour before Mr English’s death contributed to his decision to jump, the court was told.
Kratzmann and SoperLagas are also alleged to have broken into a Queensland Health premises in Nerang to steal drugs that were used in the murder.
On Friday, Magistrate Mark Howden committed Kratzmann, Soper-lagas and the woman to trial in the Supreme Court.
Jason Ryan Knowles and another juvenile have already been committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
The five have all been charged with multiple offences including murder, torture and deprivation of liberty.
When the committal hearing started in October last year the court was played a police interview in which Kratzmann was asked if he was feeling all right.
Kratzmann allegedly replied: “Nah, I feel like I am losing my f***ing mind. I have been off my medication for some days.” At another point Kratzmann allegedly told police: “I’m getting really frustrated right now, I shouldn’t even be here.”
When the committal continued in February the court was told an autopsy revealed Mr English had a potentially lethal amount of the drug ecstasy in his system when he died.
The court was also told that when police searched the apartment after Mr English’s death, a cocktail of prescription drugs were found, including Valium and Xanax.