Fatal knife brawl started by social media beef

An alleged gang dispute that started on social media ended with one dead and multiple injured after one group tracked down the home of another with a fake drug deal, a jury has been told.

The groups traded barbs online before the crew involving the co-accused covertly organized a meet for “lollies” on August 31, 2021 in Blacktown in western Sydney where a brawl started and one person was stabbed.

During a second encounter next day, 19-year-old Oliver Coleman was fatally knifed in the chest after his house was targeted by the rival group.

Panashe Morgan Ryan Karise, 24, Ibrahima Diallo, 23, and two other co-accused who were underage at the time, are on trial in the NSW Supreme Court at Parramatta.

They have each pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, two counts of wounding with intent to murder and two counts of wounding a person to cause grievous bodily harm.

As the opened on Thursday, Diallo’s defense lawyer Richard Wilson argued Coleman was stabbed in self-defense after offenders made a “humiliating retreat.”

Mr Wilson said it would be answered that the four accused were part of a criminal enterprise called MOB who engaged in the brawl with another group allegedly called Queen Street Boys, or QSB.

Allegations of gang activity come from a digital paper trail found on phones recovered by police, jurors heard.

Many of the messages in question were sent by members of the co-accused following the first brawl, with one saying “there should be a sequel” via Snapchat.

Another message in relation to the altercation said, “make sure you put one of these n***as in the ground.”

When the group drove to the Blacktown location the second time, CCTV showed Karise’s car in the area where the brawl occurred.

More footage collected from a local home showed a group of people hiding behind a car before they rushed Mr Coleman’s residence holding knives.

The altercation then spilled out onto surrounding streets as groups took each other with golf clubs, knives and a machete, which were later found by police in various locations with some items still covered in blood.

Mr Wilson argued that his client stabbed Mr Coleman in self-defence when he was pursued after the group “backpedalled” from the scene.

But crown prosecutor Eric Balodis said evidence including messages on Snapchat showed the four men went to the Blacktown address with the shared intention to kill or do serious harm.

“You’re all responsible for it because of your agreement,” Mr Balodis said.

Police seized the phones of the four men when they located Karise’s car near the scene – finding messages sent and received by all of them.

After the first altercation where a person was stabbed in the forearm, one of the co-accused sent Snapchat messages saying, “The stabbing ain’t even take him to hospital.”

A reply said, “Come today esh – put one of these n***gas in the (coffin emoji).”

The trial continues on Friday.