A trio of teenage men have pleaded not guilty to an alleged murder of a Clyde man at a Lyndhurst shopping centre this year.
Nhial Nhial, 18, of Narre Warren, Lual Gany, 18, of Cranbourne North, and Gatluak Chuol Pach, 18, of Seaford, appeared at a Melbourne Magistrates’ Court committal on Friday 31 October.
The men each pleaded not guilty to murdering Timothy Leek, 24, on Friday 14 March.
They also pleaded not guilty to an alleged armed robbery of IGA Alchester Village supermarket in Boronia on the same day.
According to charge sheets, the trio were alleged to have been armed with machetes while stealing about $3500 cash and $50,000 of cigarettes during the robbery.
Police have previously stated that Leek was found with serious stab wounds after a group of males fought in the vicinity of Society Avenue, Lyndhurst about 8.30pm on 14 March.
All other parties had fled the scene when emergency services arrived, police stated.
Leek was taken to hospital where he later died.
At the court hearing, Chuol Pach, Gany and Nhial appeared by video link from separate remand centres.
Their lawyers successfully requested to fast-track the committal for trial at the Supreme Court of Victoria.
A fourth co-accused requested the same at an earlier children’s court hearing, the court was told.
It was Chuol Pach and Nhial’s first time in custody, their lawyers told the court. Chuol Pach was said to have an intellectual disability.
None of the accused men applied for bail.
They were remanded to appear at a directions hearing at the Supreme Court on 14 November.
