Tanaha Eileen Tricia Parter in court for stabbing, robbery

A woman who worked for the Childers council for 12 years has pleaded guilty to a brazen and violent attack, where she stabbed a man she’d met that day and then robbed him.

Tanaha Eileen Tricia Parter pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court on Tuesday to wounding and armed robbery.

A man who met his female attacker while doing a mate a favour wound up punched, stabbed and robbed.

Tanaha Eileen Tricia Parter pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court on Tuesday to wounding and armed robbery in relation to the events of July 20, 2020. She was sentenced to jail.

The court heard that the victim’s friend knew Parter, and the two had met that day.

Driving in a convoy behind Parter, the two men followed her to where she dropped her car off at her aunt’s Avoca home before the planned trip.

The court heard things took a violent turn when Parter complained about having to sit in the front seat next to a man she didn’t know and that she started abusing her friend over the matter.

The mutual friend got out of the back seat to swap places with Parter, before deciding he was no longer going.

Parter was then repeatedly told to get out of the victim’s car, but caused a ruckus, threatening to “smash” the driver if she didn’t get her belongings back.

Still in the back seat, Parter threw four punches at the victim’s head before threatening to stab him.

The Crown Prosecutor argued that Parter had a long history of fines, probation and prison and a record of violence and knife crime.

Judge John Allen, in recounting the facts, noted the senselessness of the violent offending.

“You had only just met the complainant on the day of the offences,” he said.

“He was helping a friend of yours in relation to transport and then completely unprovoked and completely inexplicably you've pulled a knife out of your bag...” he said.

Bundaberg Court House.

Parter swung the knife at the victim, stabbing him in the left arm and leaving a 3x2cm deep wound.

The victim also suffered a superficial stab wound to the neck, a cut to his ear and felt like he would pass out from distress.

Parter held the knife to the victim’s throat and ordered him to drive away before she robbed him.

He had to be treated at Bundaberg Hospital.

Barrister Nick Larter told the court his client had shown initiative in life and had previously worked for Childers council for 12 years and undertaken a Certificate III in Childcare.

Parter had also taken on a parental role for her younger siblings from an early age, he said.

Judge Allen spoke to Parter about her future and the choice only she could make between being a contributing member of society or facing escalating jail time.

“You’re accumulating quite a criminal history and it includes what appears to be an escalation of offending - that is, it’s getting worse,” he said.

“And so, you have to realise that if you keep offending in the way you have you'll end up spending longer and longer periods of time in prison and that would be a waste of your life and that would be particularly sad in circumstances where you’ve shown prior to 2016, for example, having taken on at a young age responsibility for younger siblings.

“And then despite having only Year 8 education, holding gainful employment for a long period of time for 12 years, that you’re the sort of person who can actually be a useful member of society, contribute to your community and enjoy a life outside of prison.”

Judge Allen said he hoped Parter would use the time she’d been spending in prison to think about where she would go with the rest of her life.

“I'm told that you’ve got drug abuse issues including alcohol and that that provides some explanation for your bizarre behaviour that brings you before the court today,” he said.

Parter was sentenced to three years for each offence, to be served concurrently, with a period of actual imprisonment of 12 months.

She will be eligible for parole on July 28, 2022, taking into account time already served.