Sarah Slater
Two of three men charged with the murder of an Irish teenager in Australia are to re-appear in court on Wednesday more than a year after the fatal incident.
Cian English, 19, originally from, Bullock Park, Carlow town, but who was living in the eastern Brisbane suburb of Hawthorne, suffered traumatic injuries when he fell from a fourth floor balcony at the View Pacific resort in Surfers Paradise at around 3.15am on Saturday, May 23rd last year during an alleged robbery.
The teenager was living with his parents Siobhan and Vinny and older brother Dylan. The family left Ireland 16 years ago, first to the Caribbean where Cian’s father worked for Digicel and then settled in Brisbane in 2011.
He fell to his death when he was being robbed at knife point following an apartment party where it is alleged three men, already charged with his murder, were high on prescription drugs. He attempted to escape but tragically fell from the fourth floor balcony.
Two of the three accused men, and Hayden Paul Kratzmann, 20 and Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas,18, will appear before Southport Magistrates Court on June 15th. Soper-Lagas is on bail after his grandparents offered their home as €65,000 surety.
Custody
The third man, Jason Ryan Knowles, 22, will re-appear before the same court on September 30th. Kratzmann and Knowles are remanded in custody.
The two female minors, whose names are not released for legal reasons, are also charged with the teenager’s murder. All five, who have appeared in court on several occasions since their arrests last June, are also charged with stealing, robbery, torture and deprivation of liberty and will appear at Southport Magistrates court in Queensland.
Police authorities and court services said: “We are unable to provide any details about the two girls because they are juveniles and as such we cannot provide children’s court details.”
It is alleged that Soper-Lagas threatened Mr English at knifepoint while two girls in the unit filmed the incident.
Mr English is alleged to have fled to the balcony and jumped or climbed over the railing, leading to his fatal plunge. The incident was not captured on film.
A police spokesman Sergeant Raymond Murray said: “Once a person is charged with murder it normally takes 12 to 18 months for it to go to trial.”
Police authorities are to allege that the men had been having a party in the apartment above Mr English and his friends and had talked over the balcony earlier in the night.
Prescription drugs
The three men allegedly invited the Brisbane teenager and his friends to their apartment where they are accused of having a stash of prescription drugs.
Police will allege the men went to Mr English's apartment early on Saturday morning and held a knife to his throat as they demanded he and the friend hand over their phones and clothing.
Cian English
When the duo refused, the group allegedly began beating Mr English’s friend when Mr English stepped in to help. When stabbed he allegedly fled for his life leading to his fatal fall from the apartment balcony.
The two girls police allege, filmed the beating, stabbing and fatal fall of Mr English subsequently posting video of the events on social media.
The teenager’s ashes were laid to rest, in St Mary’s cemetery, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, last June.
