Today, a man sentenced to nine years in prison for the manslaughter of 20-year-old Jarred Alexander, who was killed in a revenge attack that went awry, heard that two of his co-accused may be released by next September.
The court sentenced Cheyne Mark Callaghan, 28, Glen Barry Jennings, 30, Patrick Bernard Rojas, 20, and James Lee Bertolami for their involvement in the manslaughter of Clarkson resident Jarrad Alexander, who was fatally stabbed while seeking shelter in a shed in February last year.
The motive behind the killing stemmed from the four men seeking revenge for the prior stabbing of a friend during a dispute involving Mr. Rojas and others regarding a 15-year-old girlfriend.
Although Mr. Alexander was not part of that earlier incident, he was visiting a residence in Gaffney Ridge when the four offenders showed up.
Upon finding the house secured with their intended target inside, they encountered Mr. Alexander attempting to protect himself in the garden shed. Callaghan inflicted the fatal stab wound while Rojas and Jennings struck him repeatedly.
In the moments that followed their escape, Alexander emerged from the shed, fatally injured.
Earlier this year, Bertolami pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a suspended sentence of two and a half years.
He provided testimony against Callaghan, Jennings, and Rojas during a five-day trial held in June.
Although the trio was initially charged with murder, they were convicted of manslaughter by a jury.
Judge John McKechnie delivered the sentence today, imposing nine years of imprisonment on Callaghan, while Jennings and Rojas received sentences of four years and six months each.
All three sentences were retroactively applied to March and February 2009.
They are eligible for parole in two years, meaning Callaghan will need to serve a minimum of seven years, while Jennings and Rojas will have to complete two years and six months prior to being eligible.
After the verdict was announced, Jarred Alexander’s mother, Sue, appeared visibly distressed when speaking briefly to the media.
“No amount of years will bring back my son,” she stated.