A 19-year-old man has admitted taking part in a wild skatepark brawl and assaulting another teenager, who was later stabbed to death in the same incident.
Montgomery Cole White came clean on Tuesday about his involvement in the September 2020 fight that left an 18-year-old man dead at the Weston skatepark.
White pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to charges of common assault and affray, with the deceased teenager named as the victim of both counts. White is not accused of killing the 18-year-old.
He also admitted a charge of intentionally damaging a mirror on a car belonging to the deceased's father during the incident.
White is one of nine people charged in connection with the fatal brawl, with five children and four adults before the courts.
Police have alleged that the violence erupted on September 27 after "aggressive and abusive Snapchat communications" that resulted in two teenagers agreeing to meet at the skatepark for a fight.
One of them is said to have arranged for the deceased man, who was his cousin, to drive him and two others to the altercation.
Meanwhile, the other boy travelled to the skatepark with a car load of people that included a 16-year-old who would later be charged with murder.
More people turned up, too, according to police, after a call also went out for "back up" at the fight "in case things went south".
In documents previously tendered in court, police said a brawl broke out between the rival groups when they met at the skatepark.
A machete, rake, shovel and pick-axe were allegedly wielded as weapons during the melee, with White identified in court documents as the person armed with the shovel.
By the time the violence had subsided, an 18-year-old man was dead on the ground with multiple stab wounds. His younger cousin had also been injured.
The day after the incident, White and three others attended Woden Police Station and spoke to investigators about the 16-year-old boy who was ultimately charged with murder.
According to court documents, White described having seen the boy lift up his shirt and briefly remove a knife from his pants after the fight. He alleged that the boy said: "I shanked him."
Police later seized clothing and other items from the 16-year-old boy, with interim tests revealing that blood found in areas including the waistband of his pants may belong to the deceased.
After White pleaded guilty to his charges on Tuesday, the court heard there was some dispute over where he should be sentenced.
Magistrate James Stewart allocated time for legal argument to take place in July, when lawyers for White and the prosecution will make submissions on whether the case should remain in the Magistrates Court or go to the ACT Supreme Court.
The cases of the eight others charged over the incident have reached various stages and will return to court on an array of dates.
The 16-year-old boy accused of murdering the deceased, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty.
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