Ash Bolt and Sarah Oliver
A Melton man is one of two men who have had murder charges related to the death of a Bell Post Hill teenager dropped, after pleading guilty to lesser charges last week.
Last Thursday Alith Wal, 19, and Norlane man Nyal Mainyal, 21, faced the Supreme Court where they pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury and affray, but had murder charges dropped.
They were charged with murder, along with a 17-year-old boy, last year over the death of 18-year-old Mohammad Mohammadi.
Mr Mohammadi died when he was stabbed during an alleged altercation between two groups of youths at Corio Village Shopping Centre.
The court had previously heard the two groups were allegedly known to each other before the incident about 6.40pm on August 23, 2020, at the intersection of Goulburn Avenue and Purnell Road.
It had been alleged the groups came together after a fight between two teenagers was organised over Snapchat. The brawl then happened when one teenager allegedly headbutted another over a disagreement about cigarettes.
Police had previously alleged witnesses had reported seeing Wal stab Mr Mohammadi and punch and kick him while he was on the ground.
Mr Mohammadi spent around one week on life support after the incident, until it was switched off.
Wal and Mainyal will return to court for a pre-sentence hearing on March 29.
