After the court hearing, a teenager charged with fatal stabbing challenged the dead boy to a fight
A Queensland teenager accused of fatally stabbing a boy had challenged him to a fight after receiving videos suggesting he was intimate with the accused’s ex-girlfriend, a jury learned has.
The teenage boy, who was under 18 at the time of the stabbing, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 16-year-old Balin Stewart on the night of January 20 last year, just meters from his family home in the Sunshine Coast suburb of Buddina have.
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The Supreme Court in Brisbane heard on Monday that Balin died of a single stab wound to the heart from a steak knife with a 12cm blade.
The jury on Tuesday heard testimony from the defendant’s ex-girlfriend, who was also under 18 at the time and could not be named for legal reasons, after examining the girl’s two conversations with police over the hours and days after Balin’s death.
The witness was shown several silent videos of her speaking directly in front of her phone’s camera, which were sent to the defendant before the stabbing. However, she told prosecutor Rebecca Marks that she couldn’t remember what she said.
The jury was also shown other videos sent to the defendant, including a video of a shirtless Balin hugging the witness from behind, a video of the witness touching Balin’s bare buttocks, and a video of the couple clothed lying on a bed.
In response, the accused sent messages saying “Where RU?” and “Balin, do you want to fight?”
Before driving to Balin’s house and confronting him on the street, the defendant also texted the witness asking, “Have you given any more guys blow jobs?”
When cross-examined by the defendant’s attorney, Charlotte Smith, the witness agreed that word had spread in her community that her relationship with the defendant had broken down in the weeks leading up to Balin’s death.
cross-examination
“Did you know that everyone called (the defendant) stupid for cheating on you? Is that true?” Smith asked.
“Yes,” replied the witness.
She said she recalled learning about a picture circulating on a social media group chat six days before the stabbing, showing Balin and another boy with knives.
The witness said she consumed two cans of pre-mixed Smirnoff Ice Double Black vodka at a party and a third can in Balin’s room before he was stabbed.
“I was happy but not drunk,” the witness said.
The process goes on
The witness said he could not remember if she was present when a friend called the defendant on her phone and warned him to be careful after he cheated on her.
She agreed that she felt guilty for upsetting the defendant by sending him videos of herself with Balin, but denied lying to police to hide the content of the videos.
“A lot of things went through my head. “There was a lot I missed,” the witness said.
Her testimony is set to continue on Wednesday.
