Haiden James Dunne sentenced over Hervey Bay garage stabbing

A missing stash of cannabis sparked a brutal stabbing that left a Hervey Bay housemate in hospital.

Haiden James Dunne has faced court after stabbing his housemate over the belief he had stolen his cannabis

A Hervey Bay man has pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay District Court to stabbing his housemate who he thought had stolen his cannabis.

Haiden James Dunne, 27, was living at his parents’ house on January 13, 2025, and his victim, who he had known for many years as they went to school together, was living in the garage.

The court heard Dunne burst into the garage where the victim was still sleeping, getting in his face, accusing him of stealing his cannabis, and lifting his arm up as if to punch him.

Crown Prosecutor Daniel Sampey said Dunne told the victim “I told you not to take my stuff”, which he denied taking, and Dunne then lifted his arm as if to punch him.

An altercation broke out on the garage floor and both men started punching each other, Mr Sampey said.

The fight left Dunne with a cut above his eye, leading him to go to his kitchen and grab a carving knife and a steak knife, where he said he was going to stab the victim.

His parents told him to calm down and tried to stop him, but Dunne headed for the garage.

His father tried to stop him again, but then the victim fell to the ground and Dunne sat on him, thrusting a knife into his torso, back, chest, and right arm.

Haiden James Dunne (pictured facing the camera) stabbed his housemate in his torso, back, chest, and arm.

His father managed to get him off the victim, and Dunne apologised to his father for possibly hurting him, the court heard. But he did not apologise to his victim.

The victim suffered a laceration to the right side of his chest, which caused a hemopneumothorax, a condition where air and blood enter the chest cavity.

He also had two lacerations to his arm, and was taken to hospital.

“Without that treatment, the consequences for him would have been far more serious,” Judge Carl Heaton KC said in his remarks.

When police arrived, Dunne admitted to the stabbing, but said he did it because he was being attacked.

Defence barrister Peter O’Connor said Dunne was autistic, and the attack was a response to receiving an eye injury from the initial altercation.

He pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful wounding Thursday, August 28.

Judge Heaton sentenced Dunne to two years’ jail with immediate release on parole.