The Western Australian Court of Appeal has decisively rejected a bid by one of the men involved in the tragic death of Perth teenager Cassius Turvey to have his prison sentence reduced.

Mitchell Forth, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for manslaughter, had argued that his term was "manifestly excessive." However, a panel of three appeal judges dismissed his application, reaffirming his significant role in the events that led to the 15-year-old’s death.

A Tragic Loss and a Quest for Justice

Cassius Turvey died in hospital in October 2022, ten days after being chased down and brutally assaulted with a metal trolley pole while walking home from school with friends in Perth’s eastern suburbs. The unprovoked attack sparked nationwide grief and anger.

While Jack Brearley and Brodie Palmer were convicted of murder and sentenced to 22 and 18 years respectively, Forth was convicted of manslaughter. Although Forth was not physically present at the exact moment Cassius was struck, prosecutors established that he actively encouraged the pursuit and later celebrated the assault with his co-offenders.

Judges Reject 'Excessive' Sentence Claim

In his appeal, Forth’s legal representation argued that his nine-year term was disproportionate because his actions did not directly cause the teenager’s fatal injuries. But the Court of Appeal judges firmly dismissed this argument, writing that it ignored his "substantial culpability."

"He joined in, encouraged, and then affirmed by celebration, the pursuit of an unlawful common purpose of chasing children, and terrorising and potentially attacking them," the judges stated in their written ruling, noting that the victims were innocent children simply walking home after school.

During his original trial, the court heard that Forth urged his co-offender to hunt the fleeing teenagers, shouting instigations. Chief Justice Peter Quinlan previously criticized the offenders as "callous" and "lacking empathy," describing Forth’s behavior as "acting tough" in the background while letting others do the physical violence.

'Violence Doesn't Work for Anybody'

For Cassius’s mother, Mechelle Turvey, the appeal process has been an exhausting ordeal that forced her family to relive the trauma of her son's death. Speaking outside court, she expressed relief that the appeal was thrown out, while condemning the legal challenge as a "waste of time, a waste of money and resources."

"You do the crime, you do the time," Ms. Turvey said, emphasizing the need for accountability. "Violence doesn't work for anybody."