Cassius died ten days after suffering fatal head injuries in a vicious street assault on the outskirts of Perth
By Titilope Adako
Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2022 murder of 15-year-old Aboriginal schoolboy Cassius Turvey, whose death triggered national outrage, protests, and debates about racism in Australia.
Cassius died ten days after suffering fatal head injuries in a vicious street assault on the outskirts of Perth.
The attackers, Jack Brearley, 24, and Brodie Palmer, 30, were described by Justice Peter Quinlan as “callous and lacking in empathy” as they chased down the Noongar Yamatji teenager and beat him with a metal pole.
A third man, Mitchell Forth, who was convicted of manslaughter, received a 12-year prison sentence.
The court heard that the attackers were on a so-called vigilante mission after someone damaged Brearley’s car windows. Cassius, who had no involvement in the earlier incidents, was randomly targeted by the group, whom the judge said had been “hunting for kids.”
Justice Quinlan found Brearley delivered the fatal blows and dismissed his claim of self-defence as a “complete fabrication.”
He also criticised Brearley for showing no remorse and attempting to blame his co-accused.
“Cassius Turvey was completely and utterly innocent of any wrongdoing whatsoever,” the judge said. “The only reason that he was the person killed… was that he was the person you happened to catch.”
While Palmer did not physically strike Cassius, the judge ruled he was equally responsible, though not equally culpable. The court also heard that the group attacked other Aboriginal teenagers in unrelated assaults that same day.
One 13-year-old was beaten with his own crutches, leaving his face bruised. A fourth man, Ethan MacKenzie, was sentenced to two and a half years for his role in these assaults.
Justice Quinlan condemned the gang’s actions and their post-attack “celebration,” calling it a “grotesque display” of disregard for human life.
In her emotional victim impact statement, Cassius’ mother, Mechelle Turvey, described the killing as racially motivated and said her son was her entire future. “There are no words that can fully capture the devastation of losing someone you love to violence,” she told the court.
Although Justice Quinlan stopped short of declaring the murder racially motivated, he said the use of racial slurs during the assaults had created “justifiable fear” among the Aboriginal community.
Palmer will be eligible for parole in January 2041, while Brearley will be eligible in October 2044.
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