Kloud Allen, a 24-year-old, was sentenced for the manslaughter of Andrew Sullivan by the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday. The incident occurred on January 16, 2024, at a Carlton apartment building in Melbourne. Allen was accompanied by two teenage boys when they confronted Sullivan, who had just returned home on an electric scooter.
Upon entering the elevator, tensions escalated as the group discussed a previous altercation. Allen, wearing a tartan scarf and armed with a kitchen knife, attacked Sullivan despite his attempts to defuse the situation. In a tragic turn of events, Allen stabbed Sullivan as he attempted to defend himself and flee the confined space of the elevator. Following the attack, Allen fled Melbourne and was later arrested in Queensland, subsequently extradited back to Victoria on February 17.
During the sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kaye remarked on the brutality of the crime, highlighting that Allen had taken the life of an unarmed and defenceless stranger, a well-regarded member of his family and community. Justice Kaye expressed the profound impact of the loss on Sullivan’s loved ones. Allen also pleaded guilty to a separate armed robbery that had occurred just six days prior to the manslaughter incident.
He has been sentenced to 11 years in prison but will be eligible for parole after serving approximately seven years and four months. The case has drawn attention to issues of violence in the community and the profound grief experienced by Sullivan’s family, many of whom had flown from Samoa to attend the court proceedings.