A schoolboy who was bullied mercilessly turned on his main teenage
tormentor, killing him with a steak knife, a Brisbane court was told today.
The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named, has pleaded guilty to murdering
Aiden Liyange, 18, on March 24 last year at Mitchelton, on Brisbane's
northside.
Director of Public Prosecutions Leanne Clare told the Supreme Court in
Brisbane the boy stabbed Aiden through the back of the neck with the knife
in a killing she described as "brutal, chilling and remorseless".
Mrs Clare said the boy was isolated and bullied by his friends who saw him
as weak and vulnerable, and as a result he became miserable, frustrated and
very angry.
She said the other boys saw him as "a gentle, placid sook".
The boy told police Aiden and his mates would turn up at his house looking
for money for marijuana, would rummage through his room, subject him to
constant teasing, and would bash him every few days.
"This was a boy who was fed up and angry and saw the situation as
hopeless," Mrs Clare said.
"It is difficult to not feel sympathy for the way he felt, particularly
because it was out of character."
However, she said he was also extremely violent and merciless in the way he
took his revenge.
"(The boy) took the law into his own hands and deliberately took the life
of another," she said.
"The background stress did not eliminate his responsibility."
The boy kissed his mother goodbye, left his house with two steak knives
from the kitchen and then stabbed Aiden through the back of the neck as
they walked across an oval.
As he lay dying, Aiden managed to say the name of his attacker to witnesses.
The prosecution has asked for a 10 year sentence while the defence has
asked for up to eight years with release after serving half the term.
The dead teenager's family described him as being in with the wrong crowd,
but having reached a turning point where he was studying and spending more
time with his family.
http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/31/1048962690356.html
