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AAP
AAP
National
Nick Gibbs

Bail denied again over Bris brawl death

One of 13 men accused over a fatal stabbing at a Brisbane park has been denied bail again. (Danny Casey/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

One of 13 men charged over a brawl that left a teenager dead has had a bail application denied for a second time in the Brisbane Supreme Court.

Girum Mekonnen, 19, was fatally stabbed when a group of youths allegedly attacked him and his friends at a Zillmere park on September 13, 2020.

Most of the accused are still waiting for their case to proceed through the committal process, including Joseph Lokolong.

His lawyer Andrew Bale said the case against Lokolong could not be described as strong.

But it would probably survive a three-day committal hearing set for Brisbane Magistrates Court in December, given a handful of witnesses allegedly placed him at the fight.

They describe him in different ways, doing different things, armed with different weapons and wearing different clothes, Mr Bale told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

"There's some fairly significant issues in relation to the identification," he said.

Given any trial could involve the 13 co-accused, Mr Bale said there would likely be more delays as the matter progressed.

He conceded his client had previously been "laissez faire" to abiding by court obligations, but a period in custody had changed his approach.

Crown prosecutor Aleksandra Nikolic told the court she was hopeful all the evidence would be heard at the end of the three-day committal.

She argued the Crown had a strong case, particularly in regard to section 8 of the Criminal Code that relates to offences committed as a result of multiple parties planning to do something unlawful.

"Given the way that the offences played out ... with the planning, the use of weapons ... travelling in a convoy to the offence location, in my submission a section 8 case is very strong," she said.

In denying bail, Justice Glenn Martin said he was not satisfied delays in the matter constituted a material change in circumstances.

In any event, he said he would not grant bail given Lokolong's history of indifference to court requirements.

"The onus is on the applicant, and the onus has not been satisfied," he said.

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