Women accused of Hawker reprisal attack face ACT Supreme Court trial

Nyalat Matot, Kock-Kedhia Maker Makoi, Achan Matot, Biech Maker Makoi and Akim Dau faced the ACT Supreme Court for the start of their judge-alone trial on Tuesday.

The five Sudanese women pleaded not guilty to a series of charges.

These include one count each of aggravated burglary, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, property damage, and threatening to kill.

The women are accused of breaking into a friend's unit in Hawker on June 22, 2020, in a reprisal attack where they allegedly poured petrol in the living room, assaulted her and smashed furniture.

The court heard Kock-Kedhia Maker Makoi's dog had been run over and had died the night before, with the accused women blaming the alleged victim.

In his opening statement, prosecutor Trent Hickey said several months prior, Dau had a "falling out" with the alleged victim after they lived together for a period of time. Dau then moved in with the Maker Makoi sisters.

The prosecutor said the night before the alleged crimes, police were called after an altercation at the sisters' home when a bag of clothes was set alight.

He told the court Kock-Kedhia Maker Makoi had gone up to a police officer at the time, saying her dog had been hit by a car.

Mr Hickey stated about 8.30pm that night, the alleged victim received a phone call from the women, who accused her of killing the dog and said they would beat and kill her.

While giving evidence, the alleged victim told the court this was the first time she'd discovered the dog was dead.

She said the call was "very loud and aggressive".

The prosecution claims that the next night the alleged victim awoke to find Biech Maker Makoi straddling her, punching her face and saying words to the effect of "you killed my sister's dog you f---ing bitch".

"I woke up to somebody hitting me. She was sitting on my chest with my hands pinned to my side," the alleged victim said.

Mr Hickey argued Kock-Kedhia Maker Makoi also repeatedly hit the woman with a bronze wine rack.

He said the alleged victim could hear furniture being smashed and there was a strong smell of petrol coming from the living room.

The alleged victim lost her vision momentarily but could hear Kock-Kedhia Maker Makoi saying "I'm going to burn you alive, bitch", the prosecution claimed.

The court heard that when police arrived on the scene there was a strong petrol scent coming from the living room and officers found a plastic water bottle smelling of petrol.

The prosecution argued there was an agreement between the five women to break into the home, and "they clearly brought petrol to the scene".

Defence barrister Sarah Baker-Goldsmith argued the alleged victim was "not a credible witness" and her client, Dau, could not be linked to the scene.

Dean Ager, counsel for Nyalat Matot, told the court the case "rises and falls" on the allegation the five accused engaged in a joint criminal enterprise.

The first day of the trial got off to a shaky start after court was delayed when Kock-Kedhia Maker Makoi arrived 20 minutes late.

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The court then adjourned for the day about midday for her to deal with a personal issue.

The trial, before Justice Belinda Baker, is expected to continue on Wednesday.

It is set to run until the end of the week.

Correction: Dean Ager made an opening statement to the court, not Alyn Doig as a previous version of this article incorrectly stated.

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