Pair dodge jail over 'senseless' Vic death

Two friends who were arguing with a man on a Melbourne street when he was fatally stabbed by a passer-by have avoided jail for their role in the "senseless death".

Shaun Wright was attacked with a broken bottle moments after he threw a piece of wood at a car carrying Deyar Musa and Shewit Wubneh as they drove through Fitzroy after a night out.

Musa and Wubneh pulled over to confront Mr Wright, 21, the Victorian Supreme Court heard.

As Musa took hold of Mr Wright's arm and demanded his details, a stranger approached and repeatedly stabbed Mr Wright with a broken bottle.

Musa then punched Mr Wright, while Wubneh kicked him and hit him with an umbrella.

When they realised Mr Wright was bleeding profusely they fled.

Justice John Dixon said the pair neither intended nor caused Mr Wright's death, but both unnecessarily involved themselves in a street fight.

"An affray can provide the opportunity for crowd psychology, mob behaviour to determine the outcome of a confrontation," Justice Dixon said on Wednesday.

"The confrontation that you initiated did rapidly escalate out of your control and it resulted in the senseless death of a young man."

The man charged with murdering Mr Wright was not known to either Musa or Wubneh and is facing a separate trial.

Musa, of Sydenham, and Wubneh, of Burnside, each pleaded guilty to affray and assault over the March 2013 incident.

Justice Dixon said both acted out of character and were well respected members of the community.

With both deeply remorseful and currently undertaking university courses, Justice Dixon said rehabilitation was a primary sentencing consideration.

Musa, 21, and Wubneh, 21, were each sentenced to a 12-month community correction order which requires psychological treatment and 100 hours of community work.