Teena Veronica Skilton granted bail for grievous bodily harm
A Sunshine Coast woman has made a bid for freedom after she was accused of stabbing her husband in the chest, as new details about their “toxic” relationship emerge.
Police & Courts
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New details surrounding allegations a Maroochydore woman stabbed her husband in the chest have emerged in court.
Teena Veronica Skilton, 55, was charged with grievous bodily harm after she was accused of stabbing Robert Edward Skilton at a Beach Pde unit in Maroochydore on September 13, 2022.
On January 10, she made an application for bail in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court, where new details surrounding the alleged events were shared.
The court was told the Skiltons had been married for 24 years, but their relationship appeared “toxic”.
Defence lawyer Luke Bull said there was a 15-year-history of abuse and the alleged attack could have been in self-defence.
Police prosecutor Jeanette Grigoris said the knife used in the alleged attack narrowly missed Mr Skilton’s heart and damaged its muscle lining.
Sergeant Grigoris said Mrs Skilton had called triple-0 after the alleged attack and told the operator what allegedly happened.
“She has stated to the operator that she picked up a knife and she ‘put it in his heart’ and ‘now he can’t get his breath (sic), and that was about two seconds ago. It went right in’,” she said.
Sergeant Grigoris said Mrs Skilton then said, “he thinks he’s dying, I pulled it out, it’s still not in his chest”.
The knife was later found in a sink, the court was told, but Mr Skilton had no recollection of the alleged attack.
Mr Bull said the only evidence against Mrs Skilton was her police interview after the alleged attack, which may be dismissed under a legal rule stating Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander persons should not be interviewed by police while intoxicated.
Mrs Skilton, who identified as an indigenous woman, told police she had been drinking from 6.30pm until midnight and was interviewed five hours after the alleged stabbing with little sleep, Mr Bull said.
He concluded this meant Mrs Skilton was still intoxicated at the time of the interview, and had “every chance” of being excluded from evidence by the District Court.
Sergeant Grigoris rejected claims Mrs Skilton was intoxicated, and said that during the interview she was coherent, “speaking clearly” and told police she was “completely fine” to speak with them.
Mrs Skilton had spent four months in custody, the court was told.
Magistrate Raelene Ellis granted Mrs Skilton bail, and she will return to court on January 27 for committal mention.
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