He fled after stabbing Apai within the abdomen, leaving him to bleed on a footpath.
Deng, who had damaged bail curfew to go to the seashore that night, was jailed for as much as seven-and-a-half years on Tuesday after pleading responsible to manslaughter.
Apai had been on the seashore alone when he was attacked by Deng.
An off-duty police officer discovered him bleeding from his abdomen and tried to resuscitate him.
He informed the officer he couldn’t breathe and died the next day in hospital.
It took police 9 days to search out Deng.
Justice Mark Champion mentioned the very fact Deng ran, was on bail and had a knife in his bag made his offending extra severe.
“In a split second you stabbed him,” he mentioned.
“You chose to use the knife at a time when Apai was backing away from you and posed no threat to you.
“He was alone and he was susceptible and also you had a knife, which you used.”
Apai’s death sent shock waves through his community, the court was told.
His family had fled Sudan and believed Australia would provide better opportunities for their children and Apai’s father continues to have nightmares over his son’s death.
Deng started carrying a knife for his own protection because he felt it alleviated feelings of anxiety.
His anxiety was not properly treated, and he experienced racism and family violence growing up.
Being armed, anxious and intoxicated opened him up to considerable risk.
Deng, who was already served one year and four months of his sentence, will be eligible for parole after five years.
Source: www.9news.com.au
