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A group of men who prosecutors labelled the "Patrick Slater slayers" have been jailed for life over a fatal mob attack near the Perth Esplanade train station during Australia Day celebrations last year.
Six men were found guilty in July of the murder of Mr Slater, 26, after a six-week trial in WA's Supreme Court.
Five of the men — Christopher Birdsall, Stefan Mead, Clinton Mead, Dylan Anthony and Robert Pickett — have been sentenced to life with minimum terms ranging from 16 to 18 years.
The sixth man, who cannot be named as he was only 17 at the time, has been sentenced to 12 years jail with a 10-year minimum term.
A 16-year-old boy, who was 14 at the time of the attack, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail.
An 13-year-old boy, who was 11 at the time, was also charged and will have his case dealt with in the Perth Children's Court later this year.
In sentencing, Justice Peter Martino said he was satisfied a screwdriver was used to inflict the fatal wound on Mr Slater, who suffered a total of 23 external injuries.
He said the assault took about 50 seconds, during which Mr Slater was struck with a pole and a star picket and kicked.
"Eight males walked away leaving Mr Slater dead or dying," Justice Martino said.
But the judge said he was not satisfied that it was Mr Pickett who used the screwdriver to deliver the fatal blow, saying he was "unable to find who it was".
Later, during his closing statements, Justice Martino made reference to the impact on the victim's family.
"Mr Slater was a young man aged 26. He had much to look forward to. His young life has been cut short by the offenders," he said.
"[His mother's] suffering has been intense. She does not know how the family will move forward.
"He was a father figure in the family and an attentive and loving uncle."
Mr Slater's family welcomed the sentences as they left court but declined to make any further comment.
A violent night that ended in death
During the trial, prosecutors referred to the group as the "Patrick Slater slayers".
The court heard the murder was the culmination of a violent night during which the offenders clashed three times with Mr Slater and his friends.
CCTV footage of the events in the moments before Mr Slater's death showed all eight males chasing him up a set of stairs.
Mr Slater was carrying a machete and his friend had a tomahawk, while the group of offenders had armed themselves with rocks, bottles, a star picket, a timber pole and a screwdriver.
But while security camera footage played a crucial role in the case, they failed to capture the moment Mr Slater was stabbed in the chest.
The screwdriver penetrated his aorta and both his lungs.
Prosecutors alleged any of the eight accused could have inflicted the fatal wound and they did not have to prove who exactly was responsible.
They argued all could be found guilty of murder on the basis of having a "common unlawful purpose", saying that they had all "aided" or "enabled" the stabbing.
However, the trial heard the 11-year-old was spotted on CCTV footage carrying the screwdriver as he left the scene.
It was also claimed Robert Pickett was seen with the screwdriver, but he denied the allegation.
Topics: courts-and-trials, murder-and-manslaughter, perth-6000
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