John Matthew Fitzgerald denies stabbing man in neck at Brisbane unit

A witness has described the moment blood gushed out of a man’s neck “like a fire hydrant” after he was allegedly stabbed in a random attack.

A witness has described the moment she saw a man silently walk into a Brisbane unit and stab a drunk stranger in the neck, telling the court that blood gushed out “like a fire hydrant”.

John Matthew Fitzgerald is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court where he has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Josue Natanael Espinosa-Cassanelli at a Woolloongabba unit in 2019.

On the third day of the trial, Cara Stevens took the stand telling the jury that Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli was sitting on a couch looking at her ex-partner Mick Burns when Mr Fitzgerald walked through the door and plunged a folding knife into his neck from behind him.

“He just walked inside, lined him up stabbed him and that was it. Mick said ‘What the F—k did you do that for?” Ms Stevens told the jury on Wednesday.

“There was blood all over the floor, it covered the entire living room floor. It was just like a fire hydrant had been released.”

Witnesses have told a court there were up to 10 people in the Park Rd unit when Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli was allegedly stabbed. Picture: 7 News Brisbane

Ms Stevens said that minutes earlier she had been in an argument with Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli after he drunkenly “barged” into the unit looking for another man about 11pm on April 18, 2019.

She said her ex-partner Mick had told Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli off for the way he had spoken to her and given him “a tap” on the head.

The court heard the issue had resolved and Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli had apologised when Mr Fitzgerald suddenly came in through the back door.

Ms Stevens said Mr Fitzgerald did not say anything before he took aim and stabbed Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli.

“That’s what made it so creepy,” she said.

“We had no idea why it happened.”

Barrister Jessica Horne suggested during cross-examination that Mr Fitzgerald never entered the unit and that someone else who was already inside had stabbed Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli.

But Ms Stevens said that was “wrong” and rejected Ms Horne’s suggestion that she would “do anything” for her ex-partner Mick Burns.

Ms Stevens admitted she had a bad memory due to PTSD and said: “I can’t remember what I had for breakfast sometimes”.

During his opening submission Mr Hood told the court that at least five witnesses would testify that they saw Mr Fitzgerald stab Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli, who staggered outside and collapsed on a driveway.

Mr Espinosa-Cassanelli underwent emergency surgery at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and has no memory of the incident.

The trial continues before Justice Susan Brown.