A man who stabbed his teenage cousin to death at a house party on the NSW South Coast wishes someone 鈥渉ad a chance鈥 to ask him what he was doing before the 鈥減lay fighting鈥 between the pair escalated.
Dominic Saliba, now 22, was charged with murder after stabbing his cousin Bailey Jones, 18, at a Bomaderry party on December 9, 2022.
He was found not guilty of murder but guilty of the lesser sentence of manslaughter in a judge-alone trial in March this year.
In the Supreme Court of Sydney on Monday, Justice Dina Yehia sentenced the 22-year-old to seven years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of four years and three months.
The court was told that Mr Jones and Saliba were cousins with a 鈥渃lose relationship鈥 who were 鈥渕ucking around鈥 together at Saliba鈥檚 house on the night of the killing.
鈥淭he offender and the deceased were play fighting in the garage and were mucking around and perhaps testing each other,鈥 Justice Yehia said in sentencing.
The incident then 鈥渆scalated鈥 over a period of just a few short minutes, she said, before Saliba stabbed Mr Jones in the chest, resulting in a 85-90mm stab wound.
Mr Jones died shortly after as a result of the injuries.
The pair often interacted with each other by 鈥減lay fighting鈥, kicking and slapping each other as a 鈥渇orm of mucking around鈥, the court was told.
Saliba later admitted that he had 鈥渇**ked up鈥 and 鈥渇lipped the switch鈥 before telling the court he 鈥渨ishes someone had a chance to say Dom what are you doing鈥.
Eight emotional victim impact statements were read in an earlier sentence hearing, which referred to Mr Jones as 鈥渁n amazing football player鈥 and a 鈥渓oving, kind and funny young man鈥 who was close to his mother.
Justice Yehia said Mr Jones鈥檚 killing had resulted in 鈥渄eep and ongoing grief鈥 to his family.
鈥淗e was a young man who had a whole life before him 鈥 he had aspirations to buy property, marry and become a father,鈥 she said on Monday.
She added while 鈥渘o jail term of any length can return a loved one鈥, the offender must be held accountable.
Saliba also pleaded guilty in the Nowra Local Court to the possession of an unauthorised firearm after a .303 rifle that had been spray painted was found by police in the roof cavity of his home.
Saliba was arrested in December 2022 just days after the stabbing and has been remanded in custody since.
He will be eligible for parole in July 2027.