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Three of five teens accused of stabbing Gold Coast teenager Jack Beasley to death have been found not-guilty of manslaughter.
Jack, who was 17 at the time of the attack, had been out with friends on the Gold Coast when the group was allegedly set upon by another group of teenagers outside a convenience store in December, 2019.
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It's alleged Jack was stabbed in the chest by the teenagers, who were aged between 15 and 18 at the time.
He did not survive the attack.
One of Jack's friends was also stabbed in the chest and back, puncturing his lung.
Three of the teens were today found not guilty of manslaughter charges.
Defence lawyer Michael Gatenby called the incident a "tragic accident".
"I think it's a good outcome in all of the circumstances for all of the accused boys," Gatenby said.
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"They were young boys and it's a tragic accident.
"Hopefully if anything comes out of this it's that young people stop using knives in Surfers Paradise and on the streets."
Gatenby said the incident has had a traumatic effect on the teenagers and all the families involved.
"At the end of the day someone independently did the stabbing and these boys, although they've been involved, weren't involved in the stabbing itself," he said.
"I think anyone would be determined not to find themselves in that situation again."
Of the remaining teens, one plead guilty to manslaughter and another to murder charges earlier this year.
They will be sentenced in court at a later date.
Jack's father, Brett Beasley, who co-runs the Beasley foundation, an organisation advocating for youth crime and violence prevention, said it will take time for the family to process the verdict.
"We're absolutely gutted on this decision," he said.
"We just need some time."
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