Man charged with murder of Irish teenager Cian English in Australia remanded in custody

Jason Ryan Knowles is now due to re-appear in the highest court of the State on December 3 this year

Authorities allege that suspects, (left to right) Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas, Jason Ryan Knowles and Hayden Kratzman were attempting to rob Cian English and his friend of a phone when Cian tried to escape over the balcony. Jason Knowles has been remanded in custody.

A man charged with the murder of Irish teenager, Cian English, in Australia was remanded in custody to appear in Queensland Supreme Court in December 18 months after the fatal incident.

Cian English, 19, originally from Bullock Park, Carlow Town, but who was living in the eastern Brisbane suburb of Hawthorne, suffered traumatic injuries when he fell from a fourth floor balcony at the View Pacific resort in Surfers Paradise at around 3.15am Saturday, May 23, last year during an alleged robbery.

The teenager was living with his parents Siobhan and Vinny and older brother Dylan. The family left Ireland 16 years ago, first to the Caribbean where Cian’s father worked for Digicel and then settled in Brisbane in 2011.

He fell to his death when he was allegedly being robbed at knifepoint following an apartment party where it is alleged three men, already charged with his murder, were high on prescription drugs. He attempted to escape but tragically fell from the fourth floor balcony.

Jason Ryan Knowles, 22, appeared at Southport Magistrates Court in Queensland charged with robbery but is now due to re-appear in the highest court of the State on December 3 this year.

Two other co-accused Hayden Paul Kratzmann, 21 and Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas aged 19, are to re-appear at Southport Magistrates Court tomorrow, after their cases were adjourned today. Knowles has been in custody since June of last year along with Kratzmann while Soper-Lagas is on bail after his grandparents offered their home as €65,000 surety.

Two female minors, whose names are not released for legal reasons, are also charged with the teenager’s murder. All five, who have appeared in court on several occasions since their arrests in June last year are also charged with stealing, robbery, torture and deprivation of liberty.

Cian English fell to his death when he was allegedly being robbed at knifepoint following an apartment party.

It is alleged that Soper-Lagas threatened Mr English at knifepoint while two girls in the unit filmed the incident. Mr English is alleged to have fled to the balcony and jumped or climbed over the railing, leading to his fatal plunge. The incident was not captured on film.

A police spokesman Sergeant Raymond Murray said: “Once a person is charged with murder it normally takes 12 to 18 months for it to go to trial."

Police authorities are to allege that the men had been having a party in the apartment above Mr English and his friends and had talked over the balcony earlier in the night.

The three men allegedly invited the Brisbane teenager and his friends to their apartment where they are accused of having a stash of prescription drugs.

Police will allege the men went to Mr English's apartment early on Saturday morning and held a knife to his throat as they demanded he and the friend hand over their phones and clothing.

When the duo refused, the group allegedly began beating Mr English’s friend when Mr English stepped in to help. When allegedly stabbed he allegedly fled for his life leading to his fatal fall from the apartment balcony.

The two girls, police allege, filmed the beating, stabbing and fatal fall of Mr English subsequently posting video of the events on social media. The teenager’s ashes were laid to rest, in St Mary’s cemetery, Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, last year.