Reece Purcell jailed for Banora Point reckless wounding

A Banora Point man’s solicitor said jealousy over a cousin led to a fight which made the 24-year-old stab his partner several times.

Reece Purcell, aged 24, was sentenced for a reckless wounding in Lismore District Court on Friday.

A Tweed man who stabbed his pregnant partner in a jealous fight has been gifted a “real chance” to turn his life around according to a Lismore judge.

Reece Blain Purcell, 24, was sentenced in Lismore District Court for domestic related reckless wounding on Friday.

The charge relates to a September 27, 2020 Banora Point incident in which Purcell punched his girlfriend a number of times before attacking her with a 30cm bread knife and stabbing her abdomen and left leg.
Solicitor Simon Apps said the pair had been staying at the victim’s cousin’s home when the fight broke out in jealousy over Purcell’s perceived attention to the victim’s cousin.

Mr Apps said the stabbing was both “spontaneous” and occurred under the influence of drugs.

“He said drama was increasing and he cracked under the pressure,” Mr Apps said.

Mr Apps added his client had a blackout and was “disgusted” at what he had committed afterwards.

“He said ‘I felt like dying, I’ve never assaulted a partner, I felt like jumping off a cliff’,” Mr Apps said.

Judge Warwick Hunt said the victim yelled at Purcell to control his anger minutes before he punched her.

He then chased her into the lounge room where he wounded the victim, later telling a cousin “sorry I stabbed her” before walking out the door.

When paramedics arrived the victim told them she had been pregnant and indeed tests revealed she was newly pregnant though the wounding to her abdomen aborted the pregnancy, Judge Hunt said.

“The wounds themselves were considered non life-threatening,” he added.

During the sentencing, a Community Corrections Officer was also questioned over a Sentencing Assessment Report he wrote where he said Purcell “candidly admitted to enjoying violence”.

Mr Apps said it was an “enormous misquote” as there was no evidence in both case note material and an intake report that recorded such a statement from Purcell.

The officer then pointed to a notation in which he recorded Purcell “claimed he was not supportive of crime however found it easy to do”.

Judge Hunt asked why the sentencing report didn’t pay attention to the fact Purcell had spent time in the “notorious” Don Dale youth detention centre or the strict Cherbourg Mission.

The officer replied protocol meant he could only examine the 12 months prior to offending.

Judge Hunt found the answer “disappointing”, considering the value placed on a sentencing assessment report.

“It summarised some matters in a benign fashion,” he said.

“I am not persuaded on the assertion it was recorded as candidly admitted. It is quite unsatisfactory that evidence of quite a damning nature found its way into the court.”

Instead, he acknowledged what he called Purcell’s “difficult upbringing” despite the “callous” offence.

“Mr Purcell is a very damaged young man who had an upbringing this country cannot be proud of,” he said.

“I’m giving you a real chance to turn your life around.”

He convicted Purcell and sentenced him to three years jail, backdated to his initial remand date of September 28,2020.

He will be eligible for parole on March 27,2022.