The lawyer of a 16-year-old boy, who has pleaded guilty to killing Indian student Nitin Garg, told a court in Melbourne that the murder was a result of immaturity of his client believed to be on of the youngest persons in Victorian state of Australia to commit the crime.
At a plea hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court, Defence lawyer Marcus Dempsey told the Supreme Court, "At 15 and a half, it seems (he) is one of the youngest people in this state to commit the offence of felony murder."
He said his client comes from a "much loved" background.
The lawyer said that despite phone intercepts recording the boy boasting the killing, there was remorse and the unintentional murder was a result of his immaturity and a spontaneous
Prosecutors have told the court that he discussed a potential alibi with his parents before his arrest.
Justice Paul Coughlan described the case as "desperately sad". He will be sentenced at a later date.
"It's a desperately sad case from everyone's point of view," Justice Paul Coghlan said adding, "How a young man of this background finds himself here is just sad really."
The boy, whose identity has not been revealed, pleaded guilty to murder in April and is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.
He stabbed the 21-year-old Garg as he walked to work through a park in Yarraville in January last year. Garg's murder had sparked outrage in India.
Aussie teen sentenced in Nitin Garg murder case
Pakistan SC judge to probe Shahzad's killing
SC grants bail to Binayak''s associate Piyush Guha
Oz teen pleads guilty of killing Indian student
SC declines to hear Bhatta Parsaul probe plea