Uni student Joshua Tilmouth slashed friend's throat over sexual encounters

A YOUNG sexually confused "high achiever" has been jailed for 10 years for handcuffing, tying up and slashing the throat of a trusted friend.

A SEXUALLY confused young "high achiever" has been jailed for 10 years for handcuffing, tying up and slashing the throat of a trusted friend.

Supreme Court judge Michael David today said he remained perplexed at the events which led to Joshua Michael Tilmouth attempting to murder his former friend Timothy Harkness at Tennyson in March 2012.

Justice David said Tilmouth, 20, had spent weeks planning the bizarre attack, in which he bought a knife before arranging a rendezvous with the 36-year-old.

Tilmouth then used the knife to slice at the neck of Mr Harkness, who previously told the court he had feared he would die and had been left with a prominent scar.

"How could a young, high achieving, well educated young man from a supportive family act in such a way?," Justice David said.

The court heard Mr Harkness and Tilmouth had engaged in sexual activity, short of intercourse, in the months leading up to the attack.

Justice David rejected Tilmouth's account that he was unaware of the sexual acts because he was too drunk or unconscious on each occasion, and had gone "over the edge" when he learned what had happened via explicit text messages.

"Let me say, I reject that explanation, it is not consistent with the material before me and it is not consistent with common sense," Justice David said.

"The only plausible explanation ... is that you were young and confused about your sexuality, which built up a well of resentment against the victim."

The court heard Tilmouth came from a prominent Alice Springs family and was living in Adelaide while studying at university.

Justice David said Tilmouth's youth, lack of any criminal record and early guilty plea had to be balanced against the extreme nature of the crime.

"This was a violent, serious and premeditated offence and there is no dispute that you planned it for several weeks," he said.

"This is a most sad and disturbing case and having to sentence a young man in the position that you are in gives nobody any gratification."

Tilmouth was jailed for 10 years with a seven-year non parole period, backdated to when he was arrested on the day of the attack.