Ex-partner to be sentenced for manslaughter over mum-of-three’s stabbing death

He is set to be sentenced for manslaughter after the mum-of-three’s body was found at a rural property south of Coffs.

The man found guilty of manslaughter is now awaiting his sentence.

In May 2018, the lifeless body of 46-year-old Karine Farrell was discovered at a rural property south of Coffs Harbour.

The mother-of-three had suffered several stab wounds to the chest.

Police said questions over her welfare led officers to the property of her estranged partner, Robert Bruce Smith, who was spoken to at the scene and subsequently charged with her murder.

He denied murdering her and pleaded not guilty, instead claiming he had acted in self-defence.

Following a trial in the NSW Supreme Court, Smith was found not guilty of murder - the jury instead finding him guilty of manslaughter.

Last week he appeared in the dock before Justice Michael Walton at Coffs Harbour Supreme Court, where submissions were made ahead of his sentencing. The prosecution and defence argued as to whether Smith’s actions were unreasonable in the circumstances.

The defence told Justice Walton that Smith had stabbed Ms Farrell after she brandished a 12cm iron pipe.

Bruce Robert Smith appeared in the Supreme Court at Coffs Harbour last week, where final submissions were made ahead of his sentencing.

The court heard that the couple had an argument the previous day, leading Smith to tell the victim that their relationship was over and she was no longer welcome at his home.

She however arrived at his property on the day of the incident to return boots when they began arguing again, it was heard.

Ms Farrell had retrieved the metal pipe from the boot of her car, when Smith grabbed two daggers from his veranda and ran towards her in attempt to “scare her”, the defence told the court.

“I went f**k you, I’ve had enough of you,” Smith had told police during questioning, the court heard.

The victim attempted to swing the pipe at Smith’s head, before he reacted by stabbing her multiple times in the upper body, the court heard.

“He responded in this way of stabbing in a very fast and admittedly violent fashion to the upper body of the deceased and, before he pauses to assess what has happened, she has already been fatally injured,” the defence said.

They added that Smith had shown remorse and “apologised” to Ms Farrell after stabbing her. They further submitted to the court a written letter of remorse from Smith addressed to Justice Walton.

The prosecution however debated Smith’s level of remorse over the incident, stating a friend of Ms Farrell’s had arrived at the property in search of her, and Smith denied that she had been there.

The prosecution said Smith had then offered him “a beer.”

“(It’s) difficult to believe that someone could act that way and it demonstrates a complete lack of remorse for what he has done,” they said. The prosecution however acknowledged Smith had since shown remorse in his letter.

The court further heard from the defence that Smith’s diagnosis of PTSD from his childhood and time in the armed forces should be taken into account in regards to his sentence for manslaughter.

They said it was important to note it was a “fast moving, dynamic and highly emotionally charged confrontation.”

Justice Walton will hand down his sentence on the manslaughter charge at a later date.

“The parties have represented versions of facts which I endeavour to correlate, although it’s not entirely easy to do so,” he said.