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Judge issues alcohol warning
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Aug 20, 2010 - 8:04:02 AM

Judge issues alcohol warning

Andrea Petrie
August 21, 2010 - 3:00AM

A SUDANESE-BORN Melbourne man who fatally stabbed another countryman with a screwdriver has been jailed for 10 years, with the judge issuing a strong warning that alcohol-fuelled violence will not be tolerated.

Stephen Tito, 22, drank a bottle of bourbon and several beers before he struck Afram Kodi, 19, after the pair attended a Boxing Day barbecue in Reservoir in 2008.

Tito stabbed Mr Kodi with a screwdriver three times with the final blow, of what Supreme Court Justice Terry Forrest described as an ''unprovoked attack'', piercing his skull. Tito, of Reservoir, kicked Mr Kodi in the chest before pulling the screwdriver out and fleeing.

He was found guilty of manslaughter in April. In sentencing yesterday, Justice Forrest said both men were members of the Australian Sudanese community who had come here for a better life. He ordered Tito to serve six years and three months before being eligible for parole.

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/judge-issues-alcohol-warning-20100820-13913.html