An African thug with a long history of violence has been jailed for 25 years for fatally stabbing another Sudanese man who was trying to break up a fight in Melbourne.
Malwal Aweng, 28, stabbed Mayiik Ring, 32, to death outside the St Albans Community Centre on December 30, 2022, while on bail, and was found guilty of murder in April after his second jury trial.
He also pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury to Mr Ring’s girlfriend Nyaiek Anyang, who he slashed in the neck. Aweng admitted manslaughter but denied intentionally killing Mr Ring, and the jury in his first trial was unable to reach a verdict.
Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney on Friday jailed Aweng for a maximum of 25 years, with a non-parole period of 19 years, of which he has already served two years and seven months, Australian Associated Press reported.
Aweng and his girlfriend were sitting with Mr Ring and Ms Anyang in a reserve near the centre at about 10pm when an argument erupted between Aweng and Ms Anyang, who was pregnant with Mr Ring’s baby.
Mr Ring tried to break up the fight, but Aweng grabbed a knife from his bag, slashed Ms Anyang’s throat, and stabbed Mr Ring in the abdomen. Mr Ring was taken to hospital but died of his injuries without knowing Ms Anyang was carrying his child.
Justice Tinney noted Aweng’s history of violence, including a conviction for stomping on a man’s head outside the State Library in Melbourne, and called the murder “entirely uncalled for” and “vicious”.
“These were two blameless victims who did nothing to deserve your attacks on them,” he said.
“Mr Ring in particular was a peacemaker … It is disturbing that for so little reason you sought to escalate a minor disagreement. You took away the life of a much-loved and valued member of the community, you removed him from the life of his partner and his unborn child.
“It is a tragedy for which you are fully responsible.”
Header image: Left, Mayiik Ring. Right, the scene of the stabbing (9News).
