Mom Jason Galleghan AirPods Break Down In Court As Alleged Postcode Gang Members Found Guilty Of Murdering Teen Son Over AirPods

The mother of a 16-year-old who was fatally shot in brutal retaliation for allegedly stealing AirPods broke down in tears and stared down one of the adult ringleaders after a court found the pair guilty of murder.

Kayla Dawson, 22, and Richard Sione, 34, were convicted on Monday of teenager Jason Galleghan’s murder, which took place inside Dawson’s western Sydney Doonside home on August 6, 2021.

When the verdict fell Jason’s mother Rachel Galleghan began to sob and fixed her gaze on Sione as he was taken back into custody.

Dawson, appearing via audio-visual link from a prison, nodded only briefly as the sentence was handed down, Daily Telegraph reported.

Dawson and Sione are both alleged associates of a postcode gang in western Sydney

Sione led the attack on Jason, who was then picked up by five teenagers who referred to him as ‘uncle’ or ‘dad’.

The assault lasted more than half an hour, but only about seven minutes were recorded.

One recording captured an assailant saying: ‘Oi, stop … look at him (Jason)’.

Jason died from his injuries two days later in hospital.

Dawson believed that Jason had stolen her AirPods and lured the boy into the prepared retaliatory ambush from a train station in western Sydney.

She filmed and then shared video of the savage beating.

Both Dawson and Sione pleaded not guilty to the murder.

Kayla Dawson lured Jason to her Doonside home in Sydney’s western suburbs where he was fatally assaulted

However, Judge Robert Allan Hulme found that Dawson’s role was ‘central’ to the horrific crime as the arranger of repayment for the alleged theft.

A teenager invited by Dawson to participate in the attack even bragged about it before the event.

“Me and two of the boys bashing someone today lmao,” a text from the teenager, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the incident last August.

Dawson applied to have her charge reduced to manslaughter, claiming she had a significant cognitive impairment that affected her ability to control herself or judge her own actions.

The argument did not sway Judge Hulme.

“The fact that (she) chose to leave the room on at least one occasion to go outside and speak to concerned neighbors seems to contradict the claim that her ability to control herself was significantly impaired,” said he.

‘She wanted the deceased to be assaulted because he had annoyed her and bullied her, she willingly involved herself and encouraged the prolonged beating by being present and recording and broadcasting it with apparent glee.’

Judge Hulme said Dawson’s decision to film and broadcast video of the incident also undermined her claims of impairment, according to a report by Seven News.

“I just can’t stop laughing, I’m sending it to Johnno,” Dawson said during the assault.

Sione claimed that five young people who continued the bashing after he left Dawson’s home were responsible.

However, Judge Hulme found that Sione was part of the joint criminal enterprise which planned and carried out the assault.

When the two adults were found guilty of her son’s murder, Jason Galleghan’s mother Rachel broke down in tears

“He and others detained the deceased in the bedroom without his consent to gain a psychological advantage by humiliating him into demanding punishment and retribution for the alleged theft of Kayla Dawson’s AirPods,” Judge Hulme said.

“He simply walked out – he said and did nothing to deter a continued assault by co-participants in the company.”

Dawson and Sione will be sentenced on July 8.

A number of other teenagers charged in the fatal beating remain in court.