Post by Guy Incognito on Aug 31, 2009 6:00:09 GMT -5
Source: www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26001995-421,00.html
Absolutely shocking, I honestly don't know what to say.
A SCHOOLBOY squabble during morning recess escalated into a brawl that has left a 15-year-old NSW schoolboy dead.
Detectives and forensic specialists descended on Mullumbimby High School in northern NSW and declared the playground a crime scene after Jai Morcom was pronounced dead in hospital on the Gold Coast yesterday.
The Year 9 student suffered massive head injuries in the fight, which began with petty bickering shortly after 11am during "little lunch'' on Friday, a schoolmate told The Sunday Telegraph.
The schoolmate is one of dozens of witnesses, including students and teachers, who will give statements to police.
Jai was transferred from Mullumbimby Hospital to Gold Coast Hospital's intensive care unit, where he was placed on life support.
He died yesterday morning, 24 hours after the brawl.
His distraught mother Kim last night said: "You don't send your kids to school thinking they're going to die.
"Jai was just a gentle little guy. He wasn't a fighter.''
Jai's older brother, Mayo, flew home on Friday night from the NSW ski-fields where he works, to join his devastated parents and sisters, Kyra, 26, and Jade, 22.
A Year 9 student said the fight was between two school gangs. The student said: "One of the gangs stole a seat from our eating area. We stole it back and it turned into an all-out brawl (and) the teachers did nothing''.
The student alleged Jai had been beaten to a pulp and ``it was really scary and intense. It was completely out of control''.
A school nurse gave first aid until paramedics arrived, but witnesses said Jai was frothing at the mouth and non-responsive.
Forensic detectives, NSW and Queensland police have been called in to investigate and are preparing a brief for the coroner.
A Year 9 classmate, who asked not to be named, said the two groups involved in the fight were the "emos'' and the "footy heads''.
"Someone took someone else's table ... Jai was just walking through and the Year 11s just threw him,''she said.
"We saw him on the ground and it was horrible. They just ran over the top of him when he was down and kept kicking him.''
Police feared revenge attacks. One student told Ten News last night: "This other kid's going to get killed.''
Tweed-Byron duty officer, Inspector Owen King, said there were several versions of how the incident unfolded and all would be investigated. One was that Jai may have felt unwell and was questioned by a teacher before recess because he did not appear to be himself.
"There are a number of conflicting versions and we're not going to speculate,'' Insp King said. ``That will be part of the investigation.
"We need to determine exactly what happened. It was recess time, the playground was full.''
There was no CCTV footage, nor had any student filmed the fight on a mobile phone, he said. School liaison police would join councillors on campus tomorrow, he said, describing the incident as tragic and sad.
One Year 12 witness told The Gold Coast Bulletin Jai wasn't fully involved in the fight at the beginning.
"He was shoved up against a brick wall near the girls' toilets by his throat. It was pretty rough then started to get more serious.
"Someone spat on someone, then they just went psycho and started punching and kicking him.
"All these boys came in and they were just dominating him. Then he fell and hit his head.
"No one realised he had been knocked out and everyone kept kicking and punching him still.''
Education Department counsellors will attend tomorrow.
"We are deeply shocked by the tragic situation that has occurred,'' a spokeswoman said.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the student at this difficult time. Additional support, including counselling, is being provided to staff and students.''
Mullumbimby High School has about 920 students and 75 teachers, and an anti-bullying policy.
Detectives and forensic specialists descended on Mullumbimby High School in northern NSW and declared the playground a crime scene after Jai Morcom was pronounced dead in hospital on the Gold Coast yesterday.
The Year 9 student suffered massive head injuries in the fight, which began with petty bickering shortly after 11am during "little lunch'' on Friday, a schoolmate told The Sunday Telegraph.
The schoolmate is one of dozens of witnesses, including students and teachers, who will give statements to police.
Jai was transferred from Mullumbimby Hospital to Gold Coast Hospital's intensive care unit, where he was placed on life support.
He died yesterday morning, 24 hours after the brawl.
His distraught mother Kim last night said: "You don't send your kids to school thinking they're going to die.
"Jai was just a gentle little guy. He wasn't a fighter.''
Jai's older brother, Mayo, flew home on Friday night from the NSW ski-fields where he works, to join his devastated parents and sisters, Kyra, 26, and Jade, 22.
A Year 9 student said the fight was between two school gangs. The student said: "One of the gangs stole a seat from our eating area. We stole it back and it turned into an all-out brawl (and) the teachers did nothing''.
The student alleged Jai had been beaten to a pulp and ``it was really scary and intense. It was completely out of control''.
A school nurse gave first aid until paramedics arrived, but witnesses said Jai was frothing at the mouth and non-responsive.
Forensic detectives, NSW and Queensland police have been called in to investigate and are preparing a brief for the coroner.
A Year 9 classmate, who asked not to be named, said the two groups involved in the fight were the "emos'' and the "footy heads''.
"Someone took someone else's table ... Jai was just walking through and the Year 11s just threw him,''she said.
"We saw him on the ground and it was horrible. They just ran over the top of him when he was down and kept kicking him.''
Police feared revenge attacks. One student told Ten News last night: "This other kid's going to get killed.''
Tweed-Byron duty officer, Inspector Owen King, said there were several versions of how the incident unfolded and all would be investigated. One was that Jai may have felt unwell and was questioned by a teacher before recess because he did not appear to be himself.
"There are a number of conflicting versions and we're not going to speculate,'' Insp King said. ``That will be part of the investigation.
"We need to determine exactly what happened. It was recess time, the playground was full.''
There was no CCTV footage, nor had any student filmed the fight on a mobile phone, he said. School liaison police would join councillors on campus tomorrow, he said, describing the incident as tragic and sad.
One Year 12 witness told The Gold Coast Bulletin Jai wasn't fully involved in the fight at the beginning.
"He was shoved up against a brick wall near the girls' toilets by his throat. It was pretty rough then started to get more serious.
"Someone spat on someone, then they just went psycho and started punching and kicking him.
"All these boys came in and they were just dominating him. Then he fell and hit his head.
"No one realised he had been knocked out and everyone kept kicking and punching him still.''
Education Department counsellors will attend tomorrow.
"We are deeply shocked by the tragic situation that has occurred,'' a spokeswoman said.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the student at this difficult time. Additional support, including counselling, is being provided to staff and students.''
Mullumbimby High School has about 920 students and 75 teachers, and an anti-bullying policy.
Absolutely shocking, I honestly don't know what to say.
ing enforced. 
