Group ‘wanted to fight’ man before fatal stabbing

Laine Clark | February 22, 2023

Piling into an elevator, the nine-strong group had one goal as they headed towards Joshua Lindsay Elkerton-Sandy’s apartment.

“To fight him,” Billy Siemons told Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Mr Siemons was among seven of the group that were able to gain access to the Brisbane CBD high-rise apartment Elkerton-Sandy’s friends had booked for an Australia Day 2020 celebration.

A fight broke out lasting “less than a minute” before Mr Siemons had his arm around best mate Kane Alexanderson, helping him back downstairs so they could call an ambulance.

Mr Alexanderson, 18, died six days later from a knife wound that penetrated his heart.

Elkerton-Sandy, 21, is on trial after Mr Alexanderson was fatally stabbed in the fight that erupted after two groups having separate parties in different buildings became aware of each other, the court was told.

Mr Siemons said their group left their gathering and “sort of intimidated” a girl to obtain a security swipe card and gain access to the party Elkerton-Sandy was attending in the other building.

He agreed that they wanted to give Elkerton-Sandy a “hiding”.

Security footage was shown in court of the group packed in the lift travelling to the apartment, with defence barrister Stephen Kissick saying it suggested they were “geeing” each other up for the fight.

Mr Siemons denied that he said “get ready” to the group as they left the lift but said he looked forward to the confrontation with Elkerton-Sandy.

“You didn’t care if you caused him (Elkerton-Sandy) serious injury did you?” Mr Kissick asked.

Mr Siemons replied: “I wish not to answer”.

When they entered, group members – some holding beer bottles – lunged at Elkerton-Sandy and Mr Alexanderson threw the first punch, Mr Siemons said.

Elkerton-Sandy backed out to the balcony as he was set upon by the group.

“He cowered in the corner of the verandah on his arse,” Mr Siemons said.

Mr Siemons said he tried to hit Elkerton-Sandy with a beer bottle but it slipped and flew over the balcony, with a chair at one stage also going over during the fight.

“You could have caved the bottle into his head. It could kill him (Elkerton-Sandy), couldn’t it,” Mr Kissick asked.

“I wish not to answer,” Mr Siemons replied.

The group ran out of the building after someone yelled “he’s got a knife”, Mr Siemons said.

Mr Siemons said he saw Elkerton-Sandy viciously throwing his right hand in a stabbing motion multiple times before he saw the knife.

There was blood “all over the balcony” when they left, he said.

Mr Alexanderson’s shirt was “changing colour” because of the bleeding, the court was told.

Mr Kissick challenged Mr Siemons’ claim that Elkerton-Sandy was the aggressor in the apartment.

“You were the attacker, you and your mob, weren’t you?” he said.

Mr Siemons replied: “I wish not to answer”.

Asked if he remembered later making a throat slitting motion to a girl who had been in Elkerton-Sandy’s apartment, Mr Siemons said: “I think I did it to numerous people that night”.

Mr Siemons denied that an attack on Elkerton-Sandy had been planned up to two days earlier.

Elkerton-Sandy has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.

The trial before Justice Sean Cooper continues.