A bitter family feud over a fatal drug overdose led to the brutal death of a Queensland woman at the hands of her relatives and friends dubbed the "Wilsonton Nine".
Debbie Marie Combarngo, 37, died in a frenzied attack by her cousins and two family friends at a home in Wilsonton, Toowoomba, in May 2018.
She was stabbed in the chest leaving a deep 23cm wound and bashed with various items, including a golf club and a hammer.
Ms Combarngo's daughter Claudia, who was pregnant at the time, and her partner, Tristan Gary Hooper, were also injured in the attack.
The nine accused fled in a maxi taxi and were caught at a Dan Murphy's bottle shop drive-through.
Six people - Ty Peter Fing, Christine Maree Hall, Ashley Aaron Fing, Jana Leigh Hall, Joshua James Lingwoodock and Lynn Faye Jean Anderson - pleaded guilty to manslaughter and face a sentencing hearing in the Toowoomba Supreme Court on Monday.
Three others have been committed to stand trial charged with murder.
Crown prosecutor Mark Green said the family dispute erupted after the accidental drug overdose of Michael Hall, who had been living with his cousin Ms Combarngo at the time of his death in April that year.
Two days before his funeral, family members sent messages to Claudia on social media demanding she and her mother "speak up" about Mr Hall's death "because s*** is about to get really ugly".
Claudia responded that they had done nothing wrong, before daring them to confront them in person.
"It really seemed to arise out of the family connection and the grief and unresolved issues over the death of Michael Hall - although it was clearly a drug overdose that led to his death," Mr Green said.
Nine people travelled to the Wilsonton home about 2pm on May 6 where the assault took place and Ms Combarngo was stabbed in the chest.
Once the group fled, Claudia tried desperately to save her mother.
"Blood was spurting and pouring from her chest, Claudia held a cloth over her mother's chest but was unable to stem the flow of blood," Mr Green told the court.
"The fatal wound to Debbie Combarngo was to the left upper chest area. It was a stab wound that measured 18mm across the skin and tracked 23cm deep .... there was a large volume of blood loss."
One of the killers, Christine Hall, wept as she begged forgiveness over the death of the woman they thought of as a sister.
"I would like to give my deepest condolences and apologies from us to Debbie's children .... and her brothers and the rest of our family as well as believing that one day, I hope they will find it in their hearts to forgive me as we are family," Hall told the court.
"We all loved Deb dearly as I know she loved us. Debbie is our big sister."
The sentencing hearing before Justice Peter Callaghan continues.
Rhonda Ann Hall, Shiralee Fernando, and Rhianna Jade Fing will stand trial for murder in the Toowoomba Supreme Court at a date to be fixed.
Australian Associated Press
