BREAKING: Melbourne Teen Murders Linked to Fierce Youth Gang Rivalry That Claimed Another Life Last Year, Court Hears
- Chol Achiek, 12, and Dau Akueng, 15, were stabbed to death in Cobblebank last month, allegedly due to a long-standing feud between two youth gangs.
- A joint hearing of the Magistrates’ and Children’s courts has revealed one of the accused teens has a string of convictions, including armed robbery and aggravated carjacking.
- The court heard the fatal attack was linked to the murder of 18-year-old Kon Hsu Sein last year, who was allegedly killed by a rival gang in Kurunjang.
In a shocking turn of events, a court has heard that the brutal murders of two Melbourne teenagers last month are allegedly linked to a long-standing feud between two youth gangs that claimed another life last year. Chol Achiek, 12, and Dau Akueng, 15, were stabbed to death on their way home from basketball in Cobblebank, in what authorities described as “one of the worst” knife crimes they had seen.
A joint sitting of the Magistrates’ and Children’s courts has revealed that one of the accused teens, who cannot be named, has a lengthy history of offending, including convictions for armed robbery and aggravated carjacking. In a dramatic twist, the court heard that the teen was involved in a machete attack between two rival gangs at the Northland Shopping Centre in Preston just three months before the boys died.
The details were revealed during a three-day committal hearing into the alleged murder of 18-year-old Kon Hsu Sein last year. According to the court, Kon Sein was allegedly chased down and stabbed by a group of young people in a rival gang in Kurunjang, just days before Christmas.
Three adults and two young people have been charged with Kon Sein’s murder. One of those accused is a friend of Kon Sein’s, who is now in juvenile detention, charged with the murder of one of the boys killed last month.
The court heard the accused teen had committed a string of offences over the past 12 months, including a home invasion and theft. In one crime, he allegedly approached a victim in the McDonald’s play area at Essendon and threatened to stab him unless he handed over his phone.
In another incident, he allegedly attacked a boy waiting to be picked up after school in Melton, giving him facial injuries. Two weeks later, he’s alleged to have broken into a Thornhill Park home in the early hours of the morning while the residents were sleeping, and stolen a car from the premises.
Tributes were left out for Dau Akueng and Chol Achiek following their deaths. Police said at the time that Chol and Dau were not in a gang, but the committal hearing into Kon Sein’s murder has revealed a web of gang rivalries playing out across Melbourne.
A senior intelligence analyst with Victoria Police told the court that there was a “laundry list” of sources that associated the accused teen with the 8RS gang. The analyst also gave evidence that the 8RS gang formed in March through the merger of the 38Babyz and another gang.
The court heard that Kon Sein’s death was “vicious”, with the victim receiving at least six “chop” wounds to the face and head. Video footage captured from nearby houses showed six people, some seemingly holding weapons, running towards a driveway where Kon Sein was allegedly standing with his two friends, including the accused teen.
While there were allegedly six attackers, only five people have been charged due to difficulties in positively identifying the last attacker. Four of the men were committed to stand trial and pleaded not guilty to the charge.