An Australian teenager who allegedly fatally stabbed his friend after a dispute over a broken phone told the court he was "addicted to stabbing" due to past trauma.
On May 17, 2024, in the Brisbane suburb of Acacia Ridge, 17-year-old Abddullahi Ahmed Iyow was allegedly stabbed three times in the abdomen by a friend during an encounter that began with a minor argument over a damaged phone, according to People.
The attacker, also 17 at the time, reportedly became enraged after Iyow broke his phone, which he claimed jeopardized his drug-dealing contacts. Despite being rushed to the hospital and undergoing surgery, Iyow died a month later from complications, including organ failure and infection.
The now 18-year-old perpetrator, whose name has been withheld due to youth justice laws, pleaded guilty to murder and other charges, including threatening a bystander who tried to intervene.
During the sentencing hearing on Monday, the Brisbane Supreme Court viewed CCTV footage showing the pair walking through a park before the attacker began brandishing a hunting knife and launching a sudden assault.
According to Crown Prosecutor Chris Cook, the stabbing was "virtually unprovoked" and occurred in broad daylight. The defendant admitted in a pre-sentence report that he found fighting entertaining and described stabbing as "joyful," attributing his behavior to trauma from his upbringing and fleeing war-torn Somalia as a child.
"I was addicted to stabbing because of my past trauma," he said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Justice Rebecca Treston called the crime "heinous" and emphasized the need to protect the community. She sentenced the teen to 12 years in prison, of which he must serve at least 70%.
