Stephen Alan Warne sentenced for Mackay CBD hostel stabbing

A man claimed he was hearing voices before stabbing another man at a Qld hostel.

A man facing possible extradition for the alleged murder of his father has learned his fate for the horrifying stabbing-attack of a man in a Mackay hostel.

A man has learned his fate for the horrifying stabbing-attack of a man in a Mackay hostel.

Stephen Alan Warne, 30, was at the Gecko’s Hostel in Mackay on May 8, 2022 when he attacked a man with a kitchen knife, stabbing him in the back.

Mackay District Court heard the victim tried to flee as Warne continued to attack him, eventually managing to escape into the streets and get help.

The victim died on October 30, 2024 and Warne is not charged with murder in relation to the death.

Warne pleaded guilty to acts intended to maim and unlawfully wounding someone.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan said Warne was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and before the attack was a patient at Mackay Base Hospital’s mental health unit.

“He absconded, saying he was hearing voices and travelled to New South Wales,” Mr McLennan said.

“He subsequently returned (and) committed the offending.”

Warne had a violent criminal history with prior convictions and terms of imprisonment including assault occasioning bodily harm.

The court heard Warne was also awaiting possible extradition after interstate police obtained a warrant to charge him with the murder of his father Jamie Culgan in a Leumeah apartment in south Sydney.

The Queensland court heard Warne had a violent criminal history with prior convictions and terms of imprisonment including assault occasioning bodily harm where he attacked a salesperson with a metal pole.

Mr McLennan said at the time of the attack at the Mackay hostel Warne had instructed that he heard a male voice in his head telling him to stab the victim.

“The voice said just stab him, not kill him,” Mr McLennan said.

“He appeared to be acutely psychotic as he reported auditory hallucinations.
“This offending which was otherwise inexplicable is explained by my client’s apparent untreated paranoid schizophrenia at the time.”

The court heard Warne was on a suspended sentence at the time of offending from November 2020.

Warne is facing possible extradition following his sentencing in Mackay District Court on March 19, 2025.

Warne’s brother, sister and niece were present in court and waved at Warne, who appeared via videolink and responded by making a love heart signal with his hand.

Judge John Coker said the attack was frenzied and disproportionate to any provocation that may have been given.

Judge Coker said there were indications Warne was abusing drugs and alcohol and there were underlying psychiatric concerns.

He said an overarching concern in the sentencing was the “enormously significant time” Warne spent on remand - 1046 days from May 8, 2022 to March 18, 2025.

“The time that has been served is so extensive,” Judge Coker said.

Judge Coker declared the 1046 days spent in custody as time served as his sentence, and a suspended sentence of six months was activated and declared served under Warne’s time in pre-sentence custody.

The matter of his extradition was sent to the Gladstone Magistrate Court.

“As you are aware... that is the end of this particular matter but is not something that will lead to your immediate release in light of other proceedings in another place,” Judge Coker said.