Aurukun woman, Ada Wikmunea sentenced in Cairns District Court for Edmonton wounding

An Aurukun woman has been sentenced for stabbing her sister-in-law in the back during an argument in Cairns last year.

Ada Alice Wikmunea, 40, was charged with one count of wounding, pleading guilty in Cairns District Court on Thursday.

An Aurukun woman has been sentenced for stabbing her sister-in-law in the back during an argument in Cairns last year.

Ada Alice Wikmunea, 40, was charged with one count of wounding, pleading guilty in Cairns District Court on Thursday.

The court heard Ms Wikmunea had been drinking alcohol with her younger sister-in-law and another woman in Edmonton on October 4, 2023

The Crown Prosecutor told the court there was an argument after the complainant returned to the park after going to KFC.

“The other woman had a knife and was saying ‘Who wants to stab?’and threatened the complainant telling her she was going to die,” he said.

“The defendant then took the knife from her and stabbed the complainant in the rear left torso and asked ‘Do I stab her again?”

The victim then ran to a nearby service station where she collapsed with “serious” injuries.

“She thought at some stage she was going to die,” the prosecutor said.

Ms Wikmunea’s Defence Counsel asked that she be sentenced to a period of three years imprisonment with a release date of the day of sentencing as she had already served over 10 months in prison and her father had died at the beginning of the month.

“Ms Wikmunea is completing an educational course in literacy and mathematics and is employed in a cleaning role,” she told the court.

Judge Dean Morzone KC. Picture: Brendan Radke

“She has two sons who are cared for by her mother in Aurukun, her mother has recently had a stroke and Ms Wikmunea will return to support her mother and look after her boys.

“The family has also postponed the funeral arrangements so that Ms Wikmunea can attend and grieve with her family.”

Defence counsel told the court Ms Wikmunea waited with the victim after the incident and was apologetic, intoxicated and panicked.

Judge Dean Morzone KC sentenced Ms Wikmunea to two years and nine months.

Ms Wikmunea had been in custody for 323 days awaiting sentence. Judge Morezone declared this time served and granted her parole from the sentencing date.

“I look at the impact time away has had on you being away from your boys and being unable to assist your mother and of course losing your father,” he told Ms Wikmunea as he sentenced her.

“You have made a good effort in that place with work, self identification and education and I have decided, and a do set a parole release date of the August 22 2024. That is today, you are going home.”

Originally published as Aurukun woman, Ada Wikmunea sentenced in Cairns District Court for Edmonton wounding