An aboriginal woman has admitted murdering a Newcastle man over a littering comment, while five others have pleaded not guilty and will face trial.
James Callahan, 22, was stabbed and beaten to death in the street in Hamilton on November 17 last year after telling a group of aboriginals not to litter while outside a kebab shop in Hamilton at 2am.
Police allege he was assaulted, followed and ambushed by the group, who yelled “smash him” and “kill him” during a savage attack that was caught on CCTV and in horrific mobile phone footage.
Alivia Muriel Briggs, 35, appeared in Newcastle Local Court via videolink from custody on Wednesday where she pleaded guilty to one count of murder. A sentencing date will be set in the NSW Supreme Court in September, The Newcastle News reported.
Her brother Ryan Sampson, 34, pleaded not guilty to murder and using an offensive weapon in company to commit an indictable offence, and will also have a trial date confirmed in September. Police allege both he and Briggs stabbed Mr Callahan during the attack.
Frank Allen, Jason Talbot and George Fernando pleaded not guilty to murder, and Diane Fernando pleaded not guilty to murder, principal in the second degree.
Another woman, Teelah Cooper, who allegedly helped Sampson avoid arrest, has been charged with being accessory after the fact to murder, but did not enter a plea as facts were disputed, and will appear in court again next month.
Cooper was granted bail in January last year, but allegedly breached a condition not to contact any of the co-accused by exchanging hundreds of calls with Sampson, and was remanded in custody after turning herself in and having her bail revoked.
She was then given bail again in the Supreme Court four months later, after Justice Stephen Rothman noted she had strong ties to the indigenous community and her family, a lack of criminal history, and diagnoses of PTSD, anxiety, depression and adjustment disorder.
According to the court documents from the bail application, Mr Callahan and a friend were sitting on the footpath and eating when he commented on a woman littering out of a car window.
Briggs got out of the car with several of her friends, and Allen kicked Mr Callahan in the face while he was sitting on the ground, the fact sheet said.
Mr Callahan and his friend then walked away, but were followed by two cars and ambushed.
Police allege Allen hit Mr Callahan with a metal pole, and Briggs stabbed him in the chest while other members of the aboriginal group shouted “smash that c*cksucker” and “kill him”.
Police allege Sampson then jumped out of Cooper’s car and stabbed Mr Callahan several times in the back and neck after trying to stab his friend.
The three cars then fled the scene while Mr Callahan was rushed to hospital, but could not be saved.
Mr Callahan, a keen fisherman and passionate environmentalist, was farewelled by more than 100 people at Stockton breakwall where his parents remembered him as a kind and caring soul who loved nature.
His mother Sally said she couldn’t understand why he had been targeted.
“I just can’t make sense of it,” she said.
Header image: Left, the stabbing of James Callahan. Right, James Callahan (Facebook).
