Legal minds gather at scene of Jack’s death
A SMALL group of men and women in suits were surrounded by about a dozen uniformed police and plain clothes officers on a rainy morning in the heart of Surfers Paradise.
The Supreme Court in Brisbane relocated from the enclosed courtroom to the Gold Coast on Friday so Justice Soraya Ryan could view the location where 17-yearold Jack Beasley was stabbed.
It is alleged a group of five boys were in Surfers Paradise on December 13, 2019 when Jack was fatally stabbed near the Surfers Paradise IGA about 8pm.
One of Jack’s friends was also stabbed in the back and chest, leaving him with a punctured lung, it is alleged.
The group was aged between 15 and 18 at the time. The four youngest teens cannot be named for legal reasons.
Ma-mal
J Toala and two teens pleaded not guilty on Monday to manslaughter and two counts of grievous bodily harm.
The judge-only trial is expected to last two weeks.
The youngest – now 17 –
pleaded guilty last Monday to murder and two counts of committing a malicious act with intent. A second teen, aged 19, pleaded guilty in April to manslaughter and two counts of grievous bodily harm.
On Friday morning, prosecutors and defence lawyers met at the corner of Cavill Ave and Surfers Paradise Boulevard to retrace the steps of where the five accused had been captured on CCTV in the hours before Jack’s death.
They walked up to the mall and down the beach to a barbecue area on the Esplanade.
The group stopped for a short time and Justice Ryan surveyed the area.
It was here CCTV had captured the defendants having a barbecue, during which they used a knife to cook meat.
Police prevented the media from getting close enough to the group on Friday, to hear what was being said throughout the inspec
tion through Surfers.
While walking down the mall, members of the public stared and were directed by police to walk around.
One person remarked: “I want to know if I just saw someone famous.”
From the barbecue the court proceedings headed back down the beach and Cavill Ave to stop outside the Boost Juice and Royal Copenhagen ice cream shop.
On the CCTV this was the first time the defendants and Jack’s group of friends saw each other.
The footage showed Jack’s group waiting while two went into the shops. The defendants sat on a bench and spoke to another four teenagers.
On Friday, Justice Ryan surveyed the area and appeared to make notes by speaking into her mobile phone.
After a short time the group moved down Surfers
Paradise Blvd to stop near the IGA.
It was the same route the defendants took as they followed Jack’s group.
This was the place where Jack was fatally stabbed and was the longest stop on Friday.
Justice Ryan again appeared to take notes. She walked up and down the area where the fight occurred and looked at the surroundings.
At one point she spoke to Crown prosecutor Todd Fuller who got out a laptop and showed her something on the screen.
From there the group went back down the boulevard to Cavill Ave and moved a short way down Orchid Ave.
It was there the site visit – which took less than an hour – was adjourned.
Jack’s family did not attend the visit.
The trial will resume Brisbane on Monday.