Kimberly Hickling pleads guilty to stabbing woman at Ballina Local Court
A pregnant Northern Rivers mother stabbed a woman twice and chased her out of the house in a “disturbing and violent episode”. Here’s what happened in court.
Police & Courts
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A pregnant Ballina mother stabbed a woman twice and chased her out of the house in a fit of rage because of the way she was treating her relative, a court has heard.
Kimberly Hickling pleaded guilty at Ballina Local Court on Thursday to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The 32-year-old became upset with how the victim was speaking to her relative and asked her to pack her bags and leave the house about 8.20am on March 12, court documents state.
Hickling then picked up two knives from the kitchen sink and said to the woman: “I’m going to f–king stab ya”, police documents state.
The victim picked up a chair to prevent Hickling from stabbing her, police state in court documents.
“Hickling swung at the woman with the knife slicing her right arm,” court documents state.
“She chased the victim out of the house while yelling she was going to stab the woman.”
Police came to the Ballina home and asked if anyone had a knife, court documents state.
Hickling told police she had used a knife but did not have one on her.
Officers saw two small bleeding cuts on the victim’s upper right arm and put an apprehended violence order in place to protect the woman, police state in court documents.
“Due to Hickling being heavily pregnant and the only carer of two children she was issued with a court attendance notice,” police facts state.
Hickling missed her court date on May 4, she was convicted in her absence and an arrest warrant was issued.
Defence lawyer Debbie Louise Green said Hickling handed herself into police as soon as she found out about the arrest warrant.
“While she has a history of violence, it’s not a lengthy one,” she said.
“She was not happy with how the victim was treating her (relative) … she has had no contact with the victim since.”
Magistrate Karen Stafford said the assault involved cutting the victim twice on the arm.
“It was a disturbing and violent episode,” she said.
“She received a conditional release order for an assault in 2011.
“There has been no further offending or a breach in the AVO.”
Ms Stafford convicted Hickling and sentenced her to a two-year supervised community corrections order at Lismore.
She was also given a two year AVO for the continued protected of the victim.
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