Canberra failed murder plot victim tells of fear, mistrust - ABC Online

Updated November 21, 2013 15:49:43

The victim of a failed murder plot has told a Canberra court he continues to have nightmares and is constantly looking over his shoulder.

In 2008, the then teenager, who cannot be named, was beaten and chased through bushland in Tuggeranong by three men who he considered to be his good mates.

Police say he was never meant to survive that night and the men had planned to put his body in the boot of a nearby car which had been lined with a shower curtain.

But the victim did eventually escape by slipping into a causeway beside Lake Tuggeranong and running to a nearby house to raise the alarm.

Last month a jury found Alexander Raymond Iacuone, 23, Alexander James Duffy, 24, and another teenager, who cannot be named, guilty of conspiracy to murder.

It is an offence which carries a maximum penalty of life in jail.

The three men remain on bail as they await sentencing.

Today the ACT Supreme Court started hearing submissions on what sentence each man should receive.

The crown opened the hearing with the reading of two victim impact statements written by the 22-year-old victim and his parents.

"I fought to survive," the victim said.

"My friends left me battered and bruised, running for my life that they had tried to take away from me."

He told the court that he continues to have nightmares about that night and can no longer go out in public without constantly looking over his shoulder.

"I was a normal kid just looking to have fun," he said.

My friends left me battered and bruised, running for my life...

Murder plot victim

"I no longer have a good social life because I trust no-one."

He said the one positive arising from the situation is that he managed to help prosecute his attackers.

"I tell myself I have quite possibly saved other lives," he said.

The man's parents took the opportunity to take a swipe at how long the case had taken to go to trial.

"I would truly like to know how these men accused of conspiring to murder our son were left on the street for five years," they said.

"How was our son supposed to move on?"

Topics: courts-and-trials, crime, act, canberra-2600

First posted November 21, 2013 15:24:59