Jury finds man guilty of murdering beloved doctor Ashley Gordon in Doncaster after home invasion
A man who was underage when he stabbed and killed young Victorian doctor Ashley Gordon has been found guilty of murder by a jury in the Melbourne Supreme Court.
The man, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to the murder, claiming he acted in self-defence.
But throughout the trial, lawyers for the prosecution described how a group of boys broke into the young doctor's home twice in one night, before Dr Gordon chased them.
The court heard they had been angling to steal his Mercedes AMG and ran when they heard him say 'Hello, boys' in the dark.
Dr Gordon, 33, then told his housemate he was going after them, jumped in his car and scoured nearby streets before he found them.
When Dr Gordon got out of the car, he told the boys there was nowhere to run.
Three of the youths jumped a nearby fence, but one, known to the court as KT, who is now convicted of murder, stabbed him 11 times.
Prosecutor Kristie Churchill rebutted claims by the defence that, at the time, the boy was scared and acting in self-defence.
She pointed out that Dr Gordon's actions were "perfectly lawful".
"He did not even put shoes on before he left his home. He was not seeking a violent confrontation."
It was a 10.8 centimetre blow through Dr Gordon's chest that punctured his heart, lung, and aorta, which ultimately killed him.
Since Dr Gordon's death, his family has been advocating for bail law reform, given that the accused was on bail at the time of his offending.
Dr Gordon had made his Latrobe Valley home proud, evidenced by the large crowd that gathered to farewell him at his funeral.
"Thank God the justice system had a small win today," Dr Gordon's sister Natalie Gordon said.
"It's a massive relief, and we want to thank the community for all the support."
Ms Gordon told the ABC the court process was almost unbearable.
"It's the hardest thing I've ever had to sit through, listen to them trying to diminish his character and make him sound like the monster," Ms Gordon said.
"It was really nice to hear the judge compliment us on the way we were able to hold ourselves together.
"Our most heartfelt thanks to everyone for the ongoing support through the whole process and always believing in what a wonderful person Ashley was."
Throughout the trial, the defence team maintained that the accused was acting in self-defence.
In the days following the attack, the boys discussed fleeing the country and burnt their clothes under an overpass.
"There'd be no reason to burn your clothing with the blood on them if you were only concerned about being caught for a break-in," Ms Churchill said.
They compared the size of Dr Gordon, who was tall and athletic, with the accused, who was underage.
But prosecutors maintained that no matter how scared the accused was of Dr Gordon, repeated blows with a knife the size of a pen were not an appropriate response.
"An unarmed man, on his own, there clearly to apprehend him, whose house he'd just broken into in the dead of night, to produce a knife and plunge it into his chest, we suggest, is not a reasonable response," Ms Churchill said.
The convicted man will face court for a further plea and sentencing at the Melbourne Supreme Court in October.
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