Jamal Ahmed Iyow, aged 22, faces charges for allegedly stabbing an 18-year-old defendant in the shoulder during a court proceeding. This incident occurred on March 31 at the Queensland Supreme Court while the juvenile was set to be sentenced for the murder of Abddullahi Ahmed Iyow, Jamal’s brother, who was killed in June 2024.
According to police reports, Jamal is accused of grabbing a pen from the solicitor’s bar before launching the attack on his brother’s killer. During a brief court appearance, Jamal was excused from attending, with his defence lawyer, William Kennedy, confirming that the charges would be contested. He remarked that his client is presumed innocent until proven guilty and expressed hope for a favourable outcome, citing the emotional circumstances surrounding the case.
The youthful defendant, whose name cannot be disclosed due to legal restrictions, had been expected to receive his sentence when Jamal allegedly attacked him. That sentencing eventually took place, with Justice Rebecca Treston addressing the severe impact of the crime on the victim’s family. She noted that the young offender had taken a life and inflicted violence in an attack deemed virtually unprovoked, resulting in a sentence of 12 years’ detention, with a requirement to serve 70% of that time.
Kennedy described the outcome of the sentencing as a “difficult pill to swallow” for Jamal, particularly in light of recent youth justice reforms that will impose stricter penalties on juvenile offenders committing murder. These reforms establish a mandatory minimum of 20 years for such crimes committed after December 12, 2024.
The ongoing legal proceedings for Jamal Ahmed Iyow will resume at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 7, where his charges of unlawful assault with an offensive weapon and making threats to kill will be further addressed.