Dysart man jailed for 2 years over knife assault over a $50 bet

A man in a drunken rage ran a serrated knife over a stranger’s cheek and neck, before slamming her head into a wall to try and extract $50 from her friend. She thought she would be stabbed if she ran.

A Dysart man ran a knife over a stranger’s face and throat before slamming her head into a wall in a “terrifying” drunken attack to extort $50 from her friend over a bet.

During the harrowing assault, the victim believed she would be stabbed if she tried to run away.

Shocking details were revealed in Mackay Magistrates Court on Monday as Casey Paul Lance Winter was jailed for two years.

“She was a completely innocent, random person,” Magistrate Damien Dwyer said.

“It must have been absolutely terrifying.”

The victim had been at her friend’s Bridge Rd home about 10.30pm on April 5, 2022 when Winter – who knew the friend – arrived, prompting an argument about a $50 bet.

Winter, a house painter, felt he was entitled to the money and said if he did not get the cash “it would be on” – as a result the friend, believing he would be assaulted, went to try and borrow $50 from a neighbour.

Casey Paul Lance Winter pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court to assault occasioning bodily harm and deprivation of liberty over a terrifying attack.

The court heard when the friend did not return after a short time, Winter became “enraged”, grabbed a “short, serrated kitchen steak knife” from a bench top and held it towards the victim, before dragging her outside to the front of the neighbouring unit.

“The victim has been terrified at this time and has struggled against you and you have stated to her ‘this is all Nick’s fault’,” Mr Dwyer said.

Winter, 31, banged his fists on the neighbour’s door, demanding the victim’s friend come out.

“You have then run the knife across the victim’s cheek and then across her throat all the time yelling at (the friend) to come out,” Mr Dwyer said.

“She was of the belief she would be stabbed if she tried to leave.

“You have then forced the victim down onto her knees next to the front door and have continued to yell out.

“You have then, while holding a fistful of the victim’s hair, smashed her head against the wall next to the front door several times.”

The brutal assault caused a large cut to the back of her head and “a substantial amount of blood to pour out of the victim’s head”.

She felt dizzy and may have passed out for a few seconds. When she came to Winter was gone.

But he returned after she went back to her friend’s unit and forced himself inside as she tried to lock the front door telling her “sorry I never meant to hurt you” while trying to get her to come into the bathroom.

The court heard she ran outside and jumped from the first floor to the ground to escape him, raising alarm at a nearby IGA.

Police were called and Winter was arrested but was too drunk to be interviewed that night.

Winter unleashed a violent attacked on a stranger in a bid to claim $50.

The court heard he had no memory of that night – he had drunk half a carton of beer and was on his second bottle of rum at the time.

Winter pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and deprivation of liberty, as well as an unrelated low-range drinking-driving charge.

“You used a complete stranger to you in an attempt to extract $50,” Mr Dwyer said.

“Your behaviour was reprehensible.”

Legal Aid Queensland solicitor Erin Beer said Winter accepted it was “a harrowing” time for the victim.

The court heard Winter had witnessed the death of his mother when he was younger and had a displaced childhood, regularly going without food at his drug-addict father’s house before living on the streets at age 13.

Ms Beer said unstable living conditions, disruptive schooling and negative peers resulted in a life of crime including a jail term at 18 years old.

The court heard Winter had ongoing alcohol issues and entries for violence on his criminal history.

Mr Dwyer accepted there were still prospects of rehabilitation but said jail was the only appropriate penalty for this offending.

Winter was jailed for two years with parole release on April 20, 2023 after he has served about eight months. Convictions were recorded.