Source : Perth Now news
Mere moments after playing with children on his killer’s front lawn, Ipswich father Carlo Stewart was struggling for life.
Brayden Alan Wilson-Knight, 29, his friend Tye Joshua Bickle, 33, and a 22-year-old man who was a juvenile at the time each pleaded guilty before Brisbane Supreme Court to manslaughter and two counts of grievous bodily harm relating to a 2021 Ipswich street brawl where Mr Stewart was killed.
The court was told Mr Stewart died from three gunshot wounds to his back and thigh when Bickle shot into the crowd.
Mr Stewart came to Wilson-Knight’s home with a group of 10 men in search of allegedly stolen motorbikes; CCTV footage showing him and others walking towards Wilson-Knight’s partner and children, waiting in the front yard until the trio arrived.
In the footage shown to the court, Mr Stewart kicks a ball with children minutes before he was fatally shot.
As Mr Stewart approached the arriving trio, Wilson-Knight produced a gun before any physical contact took place.
The court was told Wilson-Knight, before knowing of the group’s presence at his home, had collected an illegal, unregistered 0.22 calibre handgun, belonging to his father, stashed inside a drain.
Crown prosecutor David Nardone said the juvenile and Bickle were unaware of the gun’s existence until Wilson-Knight revealed it to the other party.
He noted there was no suggestion Wilson-Knight consulted his father regarding the planned meeting or the collection of the gun.
The CCTV footage shows Mr Stewart throwing a punch, inciting a fight between both parties.
At one stage, Mr Stewart produced a bat and struck Bickle, who managed to grab hold of Wilson-Knight’s gun before firing 10 shots in quick succession.
The court was told the juvenile armed himself with a bat throughout the brawl, with both Bickle and Wilson-Knight in possession of the gun at various times; Bickle also using a bat.
Two other men in Mr Stewart’s party were attacked, with injuries described as grievous bodily harm.
Mr Stewart was driven away while the trio fled down the street, Mr Wilson-Knight hit by one of the men’s car and Bickle and the juvenile jumping into a nearby river then hailing a taxi before being found by police.
Mr Stewart succumbed to his injuries and later died in hospital.
Addressing the court, Mr Stewart’s family said he was a “loveable larrikin” and “protector” who brought those in need “under his wing”.
“I’ve been in hell for 69 months and 29 days,” Mr Stewart’s mother Kaye Stewart said in a victim impact statement.
“How can something so tragic happen to such a good-hearted person.”
His partner Bonita Reuben said Mr Stewart was a caring father to her four-year-old daughter who dedicated himself to family life – braiding her daughter’s hair, teaching her to ride a bike, and shopping with Ms Reuben for engagement rings.
“Although Carlo had a tough exterior he had carried throughout much of his life, that tough exterior just didn’t exist at home with us,” Ms Reuben said.
“He was so proud of (my daughter) and her biggest fan.
“He genuinely wanted to build something good.”
Bickle’s defence team argued he had come unarmed to the confrontation in support of his friend Wilson-Knight, who was worried for the safety of his family, becoming “scared for himself and panicked” when he fired the gun.
The court was told Mr Stewart’s attack on Bickle led to a brain bleed, constituting grievous bodily harm, with ongoing health concerns to this day.
Barrister Scott Lynch said Wilson-Knight was “truly contrite” for his actions towards Mr Stewart, his other victims and the co-accused and had an understanding the group wished to purchase the motorbikes.
Barrister Kim Bryson said the juvenile had remained “some distance from the main action”, which had unfolded in just 43 seconds.
Wilson-Knight was also sentenced for drug offending relating to methamphetamine and MDMA possession in the years after the brawl.
The court was told the quantity of drugs and certain paraphernalia led police to believe there was a commercial element to the possession.
He was further sentenced for multiple fraud charges relating to a GST scam and $26,000 being refunded to his account, with $128,000 set to be returned before authorities realised his crimes.
Justice Peter Callaghan reserved his ultimate decision until October 1.
Bickle and Wilson-Knight were remanded in custody, while the 22-year-old remains on bail.
