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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Breaking: Judges dismiss 'excessive' jail sentence complaint from Cassius Turvey’s killer

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A man convicted of manslaughter in the 2022 killing of teenager Cassius Turvey has failed in his appeal against a nine-year jail sentence.
  • Mitchell Forth argued his sentence was excessive as he did not directly participate in the fatal beating.
  • The WA Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, citing Forth's "substantial culpability" for encouraging the chase and celebrating the outcome.

A man convicted of manslaughter for his role in the 2022 killing of Perth teenager Cassius Turvey has failed to overturn his nine-year prison sentence. Mitchell Forth had argued that his jail term was "manifestly excessive," claiming he was not present during the fatal beating and his actions did not increase the likelihood of the 15-year-old's death.

He joined in, encouraged, and then affirmed by celebration, the pursuit of an unlawful common purpose of chasing children, and terrorising and potentially attacking them, while one of the men was armed with a weapon.

— WA Court of Appeal judgesRuling on Mitchell Forth's appeal against his manslaughter sentence.

Forth was convicted for encouraging the chase of Turvey and his friends, and later celebrating the attack with the two men who carried out the fatal assault. Jack Brearley was sentenced to 22 years and Brodie Palmer to 18 years for murder. Forth's appeal focused on his lesser involvement compared to the other two men.

However, the Western Australia Court of Appeal rejected Forth's argument, stating it ignored his "substantial culpability." The judges noted that Forth "joined in, encouraged, and then affirmed by celebration, the pursuit of an unlawful common purpose of chasing children, and terrorising and potentially attacking them, while one of the men was armed with a weapon."

The children, who had done nothing wrong, were simply walking about after school in the afternoon. The sentence cannot be regarded as unreasonable or plainly unjust.

— WA Court of Appeal judgesJustifying the dismissal of Mitchell Forth's appeal.

"The children, who had done nothing wrong, were simply walking about after school in the afternoon," the court stated in its judgment. "The sentence cannot be regarded as unreasonable or plainly unjust."

It is entirely consistent with your style, Mr Forth, of staying in the background, acting tough, and getting the others to do the dirty work.

— Chief Justice Peter QuinlanAddressing Mitchell Forth during his trial.

Cassius Turvey's mother, Mechelle, called the appeal process a "waste of time, a waste of money and recourses" that caused her family further pain. The court acknowledged Forth had shown "genuine remorse" in a letter, but described it as being "only in its early stages."

Callous and lacking empathy.

— Chief Justice Peter QuinlanDescribing the killers of Cassius Turvey.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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