Laa Chol murder: Melbourne teen jailed after gatecrashing CBD Airbnb party to hear fate of appeal

A teenager who was jailed for 15 years for the murder of Melbourne woman Laa Chol, 19, is set to learn whether his appeal has been successful. 

The boy, who cannot be identified because he was 17 at the time, gatecrashed the CBD party in July 2018 and stabbed 19-year-old Ms Chol in the chest.

It was captured on CCTV.

Laa Chol (pictured) was stabbed to death at an Airbnb party in Melbourne in July 2018 

The boy’s barrister, Paul Smallwood, has argued the fatal stabbing arose ‘somewhat spontaneously’ and did not meet the legal threshold for murder.

He said it was not open for the jury to have concluded beyond reasonable doubt the boy intended to murder or cause really serious harm to Ms Chol.

‘It was not planned; it was not premeditated,’ Mr Smallwood told Victoria’s Court of Appeal in May.

He added that there was no pre-existing animosity between the pair.

The boy was jailed in December 2019 for a maximum of 20 years. He was ordered to serve 15 years before becoming eligible for release on parole.

Ms Chol (pictured) was stabbed during a scuffle, part of which was captured on CCTV, in the lift lobby

The jury rejected his plea at trial to be convicted of the lesser crime of manslaughter.

Ms Chol died at an EQ Tower apartment she had rented on Airbnb for a weekend with friends.

The boy gatecrashed the party. Ms Chol discovered her phone was missing and kicked the intruders out.

She was stabbed during a scuffle, part of which was captured on CCTV, in the lift lobby.

The knife penetrated her chest cavity and heart, and she stumbled back into the apartment and collapsed.

Prosecutor Patrick Bourke QC, who opposed the appeal bid, said the stabbing was a deliberate and forceful act committed at close range that left an 8.5cm wound.

He also said CCTV footage showed the boy had full view of Ms Chol’s body and would have known he was stabbing her chest, a vulnerable area.

‘It’s not a situation where he’s flailing around with a knife in a fight,’ Mr Bourke said.

‘It is a very deliberate, forceful blow to her body. He plants his left foot and it’s one motion.’

Mr Bourke also said the boy had already been kicking and kneeing Ms Chol before he stabbed her.

‘He made a decision to escalate the attack,’ the prosecutor said.

Three judges will hand down a decision on the appeal on Wednesday.

Three judges will hand down a decision on the appeal on Wednesday. Pictured: The scene outside the EQ Tower apartment in Melbourne’s CBD