By court reporter Kristian Silva (source – ABC News)
Two brothers who killed a 23-year-old Perth man by stabbing him nine times during a fight in Melbourne in 2022 have both been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Both will need to serve about two decades before being eligible for parole.
Mr Riak’s father has described his son as the icon of his family and a role model for children.
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Two brothers who stabbed a talented basketballer to death in a brutal example of knife crime have been sentenced to 25 years’ jail.
Three years on from Alier Riak’s murder, his loved ones continue to struggle with the seemingly unanswerable question of why two strangers ended his life.
“There is no reason,” his father, James, told reporters outside the Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday.
“It was a tragedy. Nothing that happened is OK like that.”
The Supreme Court heard even Mr Riak’s killers had not been able to explain their actions in the aftermath.
In sentencing remarks, Justice John Champion took aim at brothers Teamrat Gebregiorgis Kassa and Aron Gebregiorgis, who stabbed their victim nine times near Bourke Street early on March 13, 2022.
“The tragedy of his senseless death will continue to have widespread impacts for a long time,” Justice Champion said.
“A young life was cut short by a brutal display of street violence.
“Actions such as yours shatter the public’s confidence to feel safe in open spaces.”
Mr Riak was a talented basketballer who was on the cusp of making his professional debut, having signed a contract with the Darwin Salties. The 203-centimetre player was an unmissable figure on the court but also a towering figure in Perth’s South Sudanese community.
“We lost Alier, who was the icon of my family,” his father, James, said.
“Everybody wanted to be Alier because he was a basketballer, a symbol for the kids. A role model.”
Mr Riak, who was from Perth, was in Melbourne celebrating his birthday with his brother, Kuol, and friends at the Watermark Hotel.
When the venue closed, the group was outside and he was on the receiving end of friendly “birthday punches” from his friends.
But the joke ended when a pack of strangers, including Gebregiorgis and Kassa, approached and began striking Mr Riak violently.
The scuffle broke up but the conflict resumed minutes later, with Gebregiorgis and Kassa producing knives they had been carrying.
Kuol Riak was targeted first, before Kassa and Gebregiorgis turned their attention to Mr Riak, who tried to intervene and protect his sibling.
Justice Champion said the murderers did not know Mr Riak, and that the victim was “no threat” and trying to run away.
The judge called the killers “cowards” for fleeing the crime scene.
The court heard Kassa, 22, and Gebregiorgis, 24, had both previously been jailed for violent crimes.
In the court dock, the brothers appeared dazed, slumping forward and shutting their eyes for extended periods. Security guards needed to wake Kassa up at the end of the hearing.
The pair were jailed for 25 years for Mr Riak’s murder, with Kassa ordered to serve an additional 18 months for the attack on Kuol Riak.
Both will need to spend about two decades behind bars before being eligible for parole.
As Kassa was led away, he stared blankly at Mr Riak’s girlfriend, who asked him, “Are you sorry?”
After the hearing, James Riak said his family were satisfied with the jail sentences.
“The law has to eliminate the criminals who are carrying weapons in the street,” he said.
