Trial Over Alleged Murder of Cassius Turvey Reveals Details of Previous Attack on Teen
The trial for the alleged murder of Cassius Turvey has heard disturbing testimony from a teenage witness, who recounted a violent attack that occurred just days before the Indigenous teen's death. The court was told that the boy, now 17, was abducted, punched, stabbed, and stomped on by a group of men, including some of those accused of murdering 15-year-old Cassius Turvey.
Cassius, a Noongar Yamatji boy, tragically died in a hospital ten days after prosecutors allege he was chased, knocked down, and hit in the head with a metal pole on October 13, 2022, in Perth’s eastern suburbs. Jack Steven James Brearley, 23, his then-girlfriend Aleesha Louise Gilmore, 23, and their friends Brodie Lee Palmer, 29, and Mitchell Colin Forth, 26, are standing trial in the Western Australian Supreme Court for Cassius’s murder, although they all deny the charges.
During the trial, prosecutor Ben Stanwix revealed that in the days leading up to Cassius’s death, Brearley, Forth, and another man, Ethan Robert MacKenzie, 20, allegedly attacked a different teenage boy. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described how he was playing with friends in a park when a car pulled up and the three men emerged.
Fearful of the men, the teen attempted to flee, jumping over fences and hiding behind a house. However, the men eventually found him, and the attack began. "I got punched in the face and fell over, and then I got stomped on," the boy told the court. "I remember a knife being pulled out. I didn’t realize I had been stabbed. I was just processing everything, and then I felt blood and saw a gash on my stomach."
The boy explained that after the stabbing, he was dragged down the road, where one of the attackers allegedly shouted, “This is why you don’t bash my younger brother,” followed by threats, including, "Where are your boys at?" The attackers also reportedly smashed his feet and stole his shoes.
At this point, Aleesha Gilmore got out of the car and questioned the assault, asking, "What are you doing to this poor kid?" Despite her apparent disapproval, the victim was forced into the back of a car with Gilmore and others. He recalled that some of the people in the car recognized him, and he felt confused and scared. "They were arguing about whether I was the person they were after," he added.
The boy was eventually driven to Gilmore’s house, where he was told to take a shower and was given a Band-Aid, disinfectant for his wound, fresh clothes, and shoes, along with a Nintendo Switch "because they felt bad." Gilmore allegedly suggested that he inform his mother of the situation, but the boy refused. He also recalled that Gilmore took a photo of him and reassured his mother that he was "alright." After about two hours, he was dropped off at home, with the attackers allegedly warning him not to tell anyone or face further harm.
MacKenzie, who is also on trial, faces charges unrelated to the murder, specifically for unlawfully detaining and assaulting the teenage boy on October 9, 2022. Brearley and Forth also deny the charges of unlawfully detaining and assaulting the teen. Gilmore denies involvement in the unlawful detention.
The trial continues as the court hears further details of the case.
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