Mother Jason Galleghan AirPods breaks down in court as alleged postcode gang members are found guilty of murdering teenage son over AirPods

The mother of a 16-year-old who was fatally beaten in brutal retaliation for allegedly stealing AirPods burst into tears and stared at one of the adult leaders after a court found the pair guilty of murder.

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

When the verdict was announced, JAson’s mother Rachel Galleghan began to sob and looked at Sione as he was taken back into custody.

Dawson, who appeared via audiovisual link from a prison, nodded only briefly as the verdict was handed down. Daily telegram reported.

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

Sione led the attack on Jason, who was then taken over by five teenagers who called him “Uncle” or “Dad.”

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

One recording showed a teenage attacker saying: ‘Oi, stop… look at him (Jason)’.

Jason died in hospital two days later from his injuries.

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

She then filmed and shared a video of the savage assault.

Both Dawson and Sione pleaded not guilty to the murder.

Kayla Dawson lured Jason to her home in Doonside on the outskirts of Sydney, where he was fatally attacked

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

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

“Me and two of the guys are bashing someone today lmao,” a text message from the teen, who was given a 15-year prison sentence for the incident last August.

Dawson filed 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 at least once to go outside and talk to concerned neighbors appears to be inconsistent with the contention that her ability to control herself was significantly impaired.” , he said.

“She wanted the deceased attacked because he had irritated and bullied her. She willingly interfered and encouraged the prolonged abuse by being present and recording and broadcasting it with apparent relish.”

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

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

Sione argued 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 that planned and carried out the attack.

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

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

‘He simply walked away – saying and doing nothing to deter further attacks by fellow participants in the venture.’

Dawson and Sione will be sentenced on July 8.

A number of other teens charged in the fatal assault have yet to appear in court.