Cootharaba stabbing trial: Kevin Ronald Punter’s chat with police revealed

A Sunshine Coast father who is alleged to have stabbed his daughter and her boyfriend said he was acting in self defence and trying to protect his daughter. Read what he said to police:

A Cootharaba father-of-two and IT consultant accused of stabbing his daughter and her boyfriend believes he was protecting himself and acting in self defence, a court has heard.

The trial for Kevin Ronald Punter, 62, began on Tuesday May 24, 2022, after he pleaded not guilty to two counts of grievous bodily harm in Maroochydore District Court.

The jury heard during the first day of the trial how Mr Punter, Jane Punter, Annabelle Punter and Troy Simeth-Hackling were all drinking wine and beer at the family home on September 16, 2020, before the night allegedly took a violent turn.

Mr Simeth-Hackling said he only remembered having dinner and the next thing he recalled he was bleeding from his stomach and he could feel his intestines.

The injuries suffered by Mr Simeth-Hackling included stab wounds to his abdomen, rib area and the back of his thigh.

Sunshine Coast father, Kevin Punter, who is alleged to have stabbed his daughter and her boyfriend.

Annabelle Punter only remembered seeing her father and boyfriend getting along and talking about pool fences as well as her father sitting on the couch with a bottle of wine in his hand, the court heard.

She suffered cuts to her face and scalp, fractures to various areas of her face and a stab wound to her back.

When police arrived one of the officers was recording body-worn camera footage that was played to the jury in open court on Thursday.

Mr Punter said in the footage that all he did was protect his daughter and he said, “I just f----d up badly”.

Police asked Mr Punter if he used a knife that was sitting on the kitchen bench and he says he didn’t actually use it and that he didn’t know what happened.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks said DNA testing later revealed the presence of Mr Simeth-Hackling’s DNA and Miss Punter’s DNA in the blood on the blade of the knife.

The two alleged victims’ DNA and Mr Punter’s DNA was found on the handle of the knife.

Troy Simeth-Hackling who was allegedly stabbed by his girlfriend’s father.

Mr Punter told the officers he wanted his daughter to stop going out with the wrong people and that Mr Simeth-Hackling attacked them.

The 62-year-old father recalled in the footage that he was getting Mr Simeth-Hackling a beer and chatting before it turned aggressive.

“I said stop, but he just got so angry, he grabbed me by the throat and pushed me up against the wall, I didn’t know what to do,” Mr Punter said.

“He went ballistic, absolutely ballistic.

“Then it all calmed down but it was weird, he’s absolutely weird and then I grabbed a knife and said ‘you need to go away’ and I just thought I’d threaten him but it didn’t work.

“He went crazy, absolutely f-----g crazy.”

Annabelle Punter who was allegedly stabbed by her father.

Ms Marks said Mr Punter also suffered injuries from the night including some bruises, a bump to the head, grazing to the side of his body and cuts to his right hand and knuckle area.

Mr Punter’s defence barrister Simon Lewis reminded the jury that nobody actually remembered what happened.

“There is no doubt that Troy and Annabelle suffered some significant injuries but how and why we don’t know, so that’s what you’re going to have to piece together,” Mr Lewis said.

The judge will continue his summing up before the jury retires to consider its verdicts.