Kane Peter Connolly sentenced after stabbing 65-year-old grandfather in neck while high on glue

He befriended a grandfather in an Adelaide shopping centre and spent the day with him – then, after he was asked to leave, stabbed the man in the neck.

A man who stabbed a grandfather in the neck after drinking at his house was high on glue at the time of the offending, a court has heard.

Kane Peter Connolly, 37, appeared at the District Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated causing harm.

Judge Emily Telfer said Connolly, who was sleeping rough at the time, had met the victim at a local shopping centre before he was invited to the victim’s house for drinks.

“The two of you walked to his house and you drank together during the afternoon, during the afternoon you were sniffing glue,” she said.

“The victim asked you to leave because of your incessant glue sniffing, you agreed to leave and left his house without incident.”

Judge Telfer said while Connolly was at the victim’s house, he had belongings out on the table including a small paring knife.

The home where the stabbing occurred in 2021. Picture Dean Martin

“After you left, and later the same evening, the victim became aware of a noise at his door, he opened the door and you were there,” she said.

“He invited you to come inside but you did not respond, you took the paring knife that you are now holding in your hand and you stabbed the victim once to the neck. You then ran away.”

The victim then allegedly went to a neighbouring property to seek assistance before being treated at the Flinders Medical Centre.

Judge Telfer said Connolly was arrested by police three days after the incident – on September 9, 2021, – at the Colonnades Shopping Centre.

“You were arrested. On your arrest you exercised your right to silence,” she said.

“DNA which was located on a juice bottle from the victim’s house was analysed and there was extremely strong support for the proposition that it had come from you.”

The District Court previously heard Connolly was most likely suffering from a “drug-induced psychosis” as he had not been complying with his medication regime.

Blood was seen at the front door. Picture Dean Martin

The victim sought assistance from neighbours. Picture: Dean Martin

“We say that this happened in something of a delusional state,” Connolly’s defence counsel submitted to the court.

Judge Telfer said Connolly is “very fortunate” he didn’t cause more harm to the victim.

Judge Telfer said she took Connolly’s lengthy crime history and mental health struggles into consideration while sentencing him.

“It’s difficult to come to any clear conclusion about why you did what you did, but it is very obvious to me that your actions were influenced by your state of emotional dysregulation, impaired impulse control and intoxication,” she said.

Connolly was sentenced to three years, three months and 28 days imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years, seven months and 29 days.

The sentence was backdated to Connolly’s arrest on September 9, 2021. He will be eligible for parole in May next year.