An 18-year-old individual has been accused of murder after a man was fatally stabbed by a group reportedly armed with machetes, amid plans to outlaw the weapon.

Timothy Leek was killed in a stabbing incident near the Marriott Waters shopping centre in Melbourne’s southeast on the night of March 14th.

The 24-year-old victim from Clyde was in a Lyndhurst car park when police claim he was ambushed by as many as 10 men, some of whom were allegedly wielding machetes.

He was taken to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

As of September 1st, Victoria will implement a ban on the sale and possession of machetes.

On Friday, the Victoria police arrested an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy in Doveton. Homicide detectives interviewed them, and the 18-year-old was charged with murder. He is slated to face the Melbourne Magistrates Court later on Saturday.

The 17-year-old boy has been released pending further investigation.

Leek represents the fourth victim of a machete-related homicide in Victoria within the past six months, prompting the Victorian government to introduce legislation this week that aims to ban the sale and possession of machetes starting September 1st.

The opposition plans to amend the government’s legislation to expedite the enforcement of the machete ban.

Opposition leader Brad Battin stated that it is critical to prevent such violent incidents from occurring on streets, emphasizing the importance of preventing young offenders from access to machetes.