The murder trial of four individuals accused of killing 15-year-old Aboriginal teenager Cassius Turvey has concluded with significant verdicts that have brought both relief and ongoing grief to his family. The Noongar Yamatji boy died in October 2022 after being brutally attacked with a metal pole in Perth’s eastern suburbs, sparking nationwide outrage and protests. After a grueling 12-week trial featuring extensive CCTV evidence and testimony from 91 witnesses, the jury delivered its verdicts in May 2025.
Two men were found guilty of murder, one was convicted of manslaughter, and one woman was acquitted, marking the end of a complex legal proceeding that attracted Australia and highlighted issues of violence against Indigenous youth.
Trial Verdicts Bring Mixed Emotions
Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, and Brodie Lee Palmer, 29, were found guilty of murdering Cassius Turvey after three days of jury deliberations. Mitchell Colin Forth, 27, was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter, while Aleesha Louise Gilmore, 23, was acquitted of all charges related to Cassius’s death.
Cassius’s mother, Mechelle Turvey, expressed being “numb with relief” at the verdict but emphasized that “justice, to me, will never be served because I don’t have my son, and he’s not coming back.” She thanked the 91 witnesses who testified and “all of Australia” for their support throughout the ordeal.
The Fatal Attack and Its Aftermath
The tragic events unfolded on October 13, 2022, when Cassius was walking home from school in Middle Swan, Perth. The attack was the culmination of a series of escalating incidents that “had absolutely nothing to do with him,” according to prosecutors. Brearley was allegedly enraged over his smashed car windows and was heard on CCTV saying, “Somebody smashed my car, they’re about to die.”
The group had been “hunting for kids” they believed were responsible for damaging Brearley’s vehicle. Cassius was chased through bushland and struck at least twice in the head with a metal pole, causing severe brain injuries, including bleeding on the brain. He died in the hospital ten days later from his injuries.
CCTV Evidence Proves Crucial
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on extensive video footage captured before, during, and after the attack. Hours of CCTV recordings from various locations, including motion-activated cameras at Gilmore’s family home, provided crucial evidence of the defendants’ movements and statements.
Particularly damning was footage showing Brearley allegedly boasting about the attack, with audio capturing him saying, “He was laying in the field and I was just smacking him with a trolley pole so hard, he learnt his lesson.” The cameras also recorded the defendants with various weapons, including knuckle-dusters, a baseball bat, and shopping trolley parts.
Video from inside the bus showed Cassius’s final moments before the attack, dressed in his green school uniform, standing quietly with his backpack as he traveled with fellow students. The footage depicted him as a calm teenager simply heading home from school, unaware of the violence that awaited him.
Conflicting Defense Strategies
During the trial, both Brearley and Palmer blamed each other for delivering the fatal blows. Brearley claimed he acted in self-defense after Cassius allegedly stabbed him with a knife, though this claim was disputed by witnesses. He insisted it was Palmer who struck Cassius with the metal pole, while Palmer denied this and claimed he arrived after the attack.
The prosecution argued that the attack was not racially motivated, though they acknowledged the jury would hear some racially charged language during the proceedings. Instead, they characterized it as a case of mistaken identity and vigilante violence stemming from petty grievances.
Community Impact and Legacy
Cassius’s death sparked vigils and protests across Australia and internationally, highlighting concerns about violence against Indigenous youth. The teenager was remembered as a positive influence who had established his own lawn-mowing business at age 11 and had been invited to deliver an acknowledgment of Country at the Western Australian parliament.
The verdicts represent a significant moment for the Indigenous community and Cassius’s family, though as his mother noted, no legal outcome can truly restore what was lost. The case has become a symbol of the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous Australians and the need for justice in cases of violence against Aboriginal youth.