Paul John Stafford faces Bundaberg court after alleged stabbings

A man accused of going on a bloody rampage with a kitchen knife at Deepwater, causing two men to suffer deep wounds, has had his application for bail heard in Bundaberg Magistrates Court. See what police allege happened.

Paul John Stafford is charged with stabbing two men at Deepwater.

A man accused of going on a bloody rampage with a kitchen knife on Saturday morning, causing two men to suffer deep wounds, has applied for bail in Bundaberg Magistrates Court.

Paul John Stafford, 52, was camping on his Maude Hill Road property at Deepwater near Bundaberg with two other men, aged 51 and 54, when a disagreement broke out some time before 4am.

Police allege a punch was thrown between two of the victims, and that Mr Stafford then went to his home to get a kitchen knife.

The court heard both alleged victims had then wanted to leave, but their car battery was dead.

That is when Mr Stafford is alleged to have stabbed them in a frenzy so violent he was covered in blood when police arrived.

The court heard the victims had picked up chairs, which barrister Callan Cassidy argued was the starting point of the fight.

Police prosecutor Andrew Powis said the men had acted in self-defence.

Mr Stafford, sporting sandy coloured hair, a grey beard and a bloody wound to his brow, appeared in court on January 17, via videolink from the Bundaberg watch house.

RACQ Capricorn Rescue was called to attend to a man reported to have suffered multiple stab wounds on a rural property at Deepwater and another who had been stabbed in the leg.

Snr Sgt Powis said the multiple deep wounds suffered by the men were potentially life-threatening.

“The injuries are significant to the degree that had the victim not sought medical treatment, either one easily could have lost his life in this incident,” he said.

“The defendant was located at the scene, covered in blood, the sheath was found in the defendant’s room.”

Both men were taken to Bundaberg Hospital.

The 54-year-old’s injuries were to his upper body and he was in a serious but stable condition.

The 51-year-old man received a gash to the leg.

In his bid for Mr Stafford’s bail, Mr Cassidy said the knife was a kitchen knife and therefore not an offensive weapon.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie said even a walking stick could be an offensive weapon if misused.

She deemed Mr Stafford’s alleged actions “gravely serious offences”.

Snr Sgt Powis said it was not Mr Stafford’s only recent appearance in court.

“He was before the court only last Monday, appearing on drug charges and I believe there was ammunition as well,” he said.

Mr Stafford’s bid for bail on the charges of grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm and unlawful wounding relating to Saturday’s events was denied.

Mr Stafford was remanded in custody until March 29, 2021.