Two men convicted of murdering 19-year-old Yiel Deng Gatluak outside Alice Springs have been sentenced to life imprisonment, with each ordered to serve at least 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.
The Northern Territory Supreme Court sentenced Koang Wuordol, 25, and Guandong Guandong, 24, on Monday after a jury found both men guilty of murder in May. The case arose from a fatal assault on an isolated stretch of Undoolya Road, about 10 kilometres east of Alice Springs, in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2024.
A third offender, who was 17 at the time and cannot be identified for legal reasons, was acquitted of murder and manslaughter but convicted of committing a violent act causing death.
Mandatory life terms imposed
Justice Jenny Blokland imposed life sentences on Wuordol and Guandong under the Northern Territory’s mandatory sentencing laws. Their 20-year non-parole periods mean they will first be eligible to seek release in 2044, taking into account time already spent in custody.
The younger co-offender received a four-year prison term. The remaining balance was suspended after he had served more than two-and-a-half years on remand. His sentence includes an 18-month operational period and conditions that may involve supervision, weekly reporting, drug testing, electronic monitoring and a curfew.
The court found the three offenders assaulted Mr Gatluak after travelling with him in a Ford Ranger to the remote road. Parts of the attack were recorded on a phone. In sentencing remarks reported by ABC News, Justice Blokland described the conduct captured in the footage as brutal, callous and cruel.
Filming increased gravity of crime
Justice Blokland found Wuordol inflicted most of the physical violence, while Guandong filmed and made disturbing comments. The judge said the decision to take Mr Gatluak to an isolated place, leave him vulnerable and unconscious, move his phone out of reach and record his suffering and humiliation made the offending more serious.
The court heard Mr Gatluak was likely alive for several hours after the assault, although his brain function would have deteriorated and he was unlikely to have been capable of meaningful movement. His body was later discovered on the road.
Although the judge assessed Guandong’s moral culpability as slightly lower because he caused less direct physical harm, she said the difference was only marginal. She also noted he had no serious criminal history and appeared to have favourable rehabilitation prospects, but the mandatory sentencing framework required a life term following the murder conviction.
Motive remains unexplained
The court was not given a clear explanation for why the attack occurred. Justice Blokland said important questions remained unanswered despite the evidence heard during the five-week trial and the subsequent sentencing proceedings.
The judge treated the youth’s position differently. His direct role was found to be at the lower end compared with the two adults, though he participated while knowing Mr Gatluak was injured and would be left without help. In deciding the sentence, the court gave significant weight to his age, earlier offer to plead guilty to manslaughter, letter of apology and evidence of remorse.
Family describes enduring loss
Victim impact statements detailed the continuing effect of Mr Gatluak’s death on his relatives. His father described him as a hardworking young man who was active in his church and had ambitions for his future.
Other family members told the court that their grief had not diminished with time and remained part of everyday life. Justice Blokland said the consequences of the loss for the family were never-ending.
The sentences bring the trial and punishment phase of the case to a close, although the two men’s eventual release will depend on any future decision by parole authorities after their minimum terms have been served.
