Mum and sister of alleged Sefton Plaza stabbing victim denied bail due to ‘fear’ of witness

An “independent eye witness” saw a man “attempting to stab” his daughter in the carpark of a northern suburbs shopping centre, a court has heard.

The mother and sister of a young Muslim woman stabbed in a shopping centre carpark have faced court over the alleged attempted murder.

The young woman was allegedly ambushed by her family near a bus stop at Sefton Plaza on Main North Rd just before 8am on Tuesday

The court previously heard the feud began after the victim’s family “disapproved” of her relationship with a Christian Sri Lankan.

The victim’s sister, 28, and mother, 55 appeared in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court by video link on Thursday charged with attempted murder and unlawful detention.

Her father, 56, brother, 30, and another man, 28, all of Blair Athol, did not apply for bail on the same charges on Wednesday.

The court heard on Thursday that an “independent eye witness” told police they saw the woman’s father holding a knife and attempting to use it.

The incident occurred after the woman met with her mother, sister and a friend at the carpark to exchange educational materials, before the father and brother suddenly appeared.

Police prosecutor Brevet Sergeant Rachelle Adams on Thursday alleged the woman was stabbed twice, leaving her “bleeding profusely” and with a perforated kidney, lacerated liver and significant internal bleeding.

“She thought she was going to due to a loss of blood,” Brevet Sgt Adams said.

“It’s an allegation of a joint criminal enterprise to murder the victim over cultural reasons.”

The court heard after the stabbing, the mother and sister made attempts to locate the friend who had “tried to stop the incident”.

A Muslim woman was allegedly stabbed in the car park of the Sefton Plaza early on November 30. Picture: 7NEWS.

Brevet Sgt Adams said there were “grave concerns” for the safety of the victim and the friend if bail was granted to the mother and sister.

“These two defendants have continued to make attempts to locate that first witness by attending at her home address, causing further fear,” she said.

“The victim is very much in fear of her life by her family that she believes tried to kill her during this incident.”

For the mother and sister, defence lawyer Claire O’Connor said they were having a conversation with the alleged victim before the father approached the group and produced a knife.

She rejected the allegations of a family “conspiracy” and said there was no evidence of “either of these women knowing what was going to happen”.

“There is no evidence of any agreement (between all five defendants),” Ms O’Connor said.

“A knife was produced, and one of the witnesses at the bus stop says that he could see it was the father that had the knife and he was attempting to stab the victim at that time.

“The husband was the one who came up to the group and produced a knife and attempted to use it.”

The mother was cut on her abdomen and hands during the incident, the court heard.

A man was arrested after a woman was stabbed and forced into a car at Sefton Plaza car park. Picture: 9News

Magistrate Jayanthi McGrath denied bail, saying the women’s release would leave the victim and a witness in “extreme distress and fear”.

“These are extremely serious allegations of physical harm,” she said.

“The safety of the alleged victim and the need to protect her is extremely high.”

Both women will appear again in court in March.