There are no winners in the “brutal” court process, say the family of 16-year-old Balin Stewart who was stabbed to death outside his home.
They were speaking outside court after a teenager – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter over Balin’s death on the Sunshine Coast in January last year.
“We are devastated – no one should go through this court process,” Michael Stewart told reporters.
“It’s brutal – it’s the only way I can describe it.”
Mr Stewart said it had been devastating hearing over and over again during the trial how his son died.
There were no winners and hundreds of people had been affected.
“Our family is destroyed … I am sure his family is feeling (that) as well,” he added.
Kerri-Lynn Stewart said no verdict was going to be good while her husband said the outcome would not bring Balin back.
The teen was 17 when the boys got into a brawl ending with Balin dying from a single stab wound to the heart from a steak knife with a 12-centimetre blade.
Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks argued during the two-week trial that the teen attacked Balin out of jealousy because the younger boy was spending time with his ex-girlfriend.
The defendant stabbed Balin with a purposeful motion in one of the most vulnerable areas in the human body immediately after saying he wanted to kill the 16-year-old, Ms Marks told the jury at the start of the trial.
The teen said he drove the five minutes to Balin’s house late at night because his ex-girlfriend had sent him provocative videos featuring herself and the 16-year-old.
On arrival he asked Balin if he wanted to fight, leading to a confrontation on the grass nature strip outside the Buddina home, he said.
The teen told the court he hit Balin in a reflex response to being punched by the 16-year-old without realising the knife was in his hand.
Balin’s mother Kerri-Lynn said Balin and some friends, including a girl he had been in a relationship with years previously and who had broken up with the defendant about six months before, had been hanging out on the evening of January 20.
Ms Stewart was woken by the girl banging on the window, shouting for her to come outside.
She ran out the front door, finding Balin unconscious and the defendant saying: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t believe I did that.”
Under cross-examination from barrister Charlotte Smith, Ms Stewart said it was possible the defendant also said “I didn’t mean it”.
Balin was pronounced dead at 11.50pm after his parents, neighbours, police and paramedics attempted to revive him.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she and Balin decided to make and send to the defendant provocative videos suggesting they had resumed a relationship.
The teen told the court he was jealous but not in a rage after being sent the videos and did not want to hurt Balin very badly.
“I went there for a fight specifically,” the defendant told the jury.
He denied telling another witness he grabbed a steak knife “on impulse” and said it was “for safety” after being warned Balin had a knife.
The Brisbane Supreme Court jury found him guilty of manslaughter on Friday afternoon after deliberating for about 14 hours.
The teenager was remanded in custody with the case set to be mentioned before Justice Elizabeth Wilson on Wednesday.
He will be sentenced under the Youth Justices Act on a date yet to be decided.
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