Daniel Goodwin in court for stabbing co-worker

A young concreter snapped after a long, hot day on the job, stabbing a co-worker who had been criticising him about his work ethic.

Daniel Goodwin snapped after a long, hot day’s work and stabbed a co-worker who had been unfairly criticising him for his work ethic.

A concreter stabbed a co-worker in the stomach with a steak knife after he criticised his work ethic.

Daniel Goodwin pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding in Bundaberg District Court on Friday, September 22.

The court heard some animosity had developed between Goodwin, 27, and the complainant during the six weeks in which he had worked with the concreting firm, with the complainant subjecting Goodwin to a period of “continued harassment” mostly consisting of criticism of his work ethic.

In contrast, character references from the operator of the firm and another co-worker tendered in court spoke highly of Goodwin’s work ethic, and Judge John Allen KC told the court Goodwin “didn’t appreciate” what he regarded as “unjustified criticism”.

Judge Allen said in November 2022, after putting in a “long hot day’s work”, Goodwin and the complainant had verbal arguments, with the complainant persistently criticising Goodwin despite attempts by their boss to calm the situation down.

The court heard that on the suggestion from a co-worker that Goodwin stay at his house that evening, Goodwin gathered his belongings from the camper trailer he was staying in, and slipped a steak knife into his pants because he was “fed up” with the complainant.

The argument then escalated when the complainant threw a can of insect spray at Goodwin and approached him while recording a video on his mobile phone and yelling aggressively.

Daniel Goodwin stabbed his co-worker with a steak knife after a long, hot day and constant harassment from the man, a court has heard.

When Goodwin grabbed the phone, the complainant said words to the effect of “do you know where the f--k I come from” and “I’ll f-----g kill you”, the court heard.

When the complainant swung a punch at Goodwin he produced the steak knife, which broke as he pulled it out of his pants, and stabbed the complainant in the lower left quadrant of his abdomen with the broken knife.

During an ensuing struggle the complainant sustained a further injury to his right armpit.

The court heard the complainant suffered a 2cm wound to his abdominal wall with full skin penetration, and some smaller lacerations to his right armpit which required stitches.

The complainant gave a victim impact statement which detailed the physical, financial and emotional impacts of the offending.

Goodwin’s defence barrister, Callan Cassidy, told the court his client was remorseful for the offending, and had lost his employment with the concreting firm and had been unable to find other employment in Bundaberg as a result of the incident.

Goodwin’s remorse and the character references tendered in court led Judge Allen to conclude that the offending was out of character.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment wholly suspended for two years and six months.