Doonside: Hayden Dobson jailed for stabbing brother-in-law in the neck, head

A father-of-two was stabbed in the neck and head during a brutal attack by his brother-in-law. Here’s the latest from court.

Hayden Dobson.

A 24-year-old father has been jailed after he stabbed his brother-in-law twice.

Cranebrook man Hayden Dobson faced Blacktown Local Court on Monday supported by his grandparents, where the court heard horrific details into the violent altercation.

The court was told Dobson had a strained relationship with the victim, whom he had a previous conviction for domestic violence-related charges against.

Court documents state the victim and Dobson’s sister had driven to their grandmother’s house in Doonside on the evening of April 15, 2023 after setting mousetraps in their home.

Hayden Dobson was jailed over the attack.

The documents state the couple got to the Doonside home around 8.30pm that night to find their grandmother was not home, but Dobson was sitting on the front steps drinking from a beer bottle.

Dobson approached his brother-in-law and stood directly in front of him.

The documents state Dobson’s brother-in-law kneed Dobson to try and move him away and then held him down on the ground.

Dobson then picked up a shard of a broken beer bottle and “jabbed” it into the left side of his brother-in-law’s forehead.

The documents state the brother-in-law immediately felt blood rushing down the side of his face and took off his shirt to stem the bleeding.

But while Dobson’s brother-in-law tended to his wound, Dobson lunged at him and jabbed the glass shard into the side of his neck, leaving a six to 7cm wound to his neck.

Dobson fled the scene in a white Subaru WRX with an unknown man a short time later.

The documents state the victim needed stitches for both wounds and was rushed to Blacktown Hospital. He was discharged the next day and made a statement at Blacktown Police Station.

Dobson was arrested at his house the day after the attack.

The court was told Dobson was initially denied bail after his arrest, but was granted Supreme Court bail after spending one month and 25 days in custody.

Hayden Dobson was supported in court by his grandparents.

The court was told Dobson was intoxicated at the time, and had not had alcohol since the incident.

Dobson claimed he may have acted differently if not under the influence at the time.

The court was told he was described as “not an angry person” with strong ties to the community, and that he was “triggered” by the victim’s relationship with his sister, due to a 10-year age gap.

Dobson pleaded guilty to one charge of reckless wounding (domestic violence offence). Court documents state Dobson pleaded guilty on the basis of excessive self-defence.

He was sentenced to 18 months behind bars with a non-parole period of 12 months. He will be released on May 20, 2025.

Dobson was seen hugging his grandparents before being put in handcuffs and being taken away.

His grandmother then turned to Magistrate Van Zulyen and said jailing her grandson was “wrong”.

Dobson returned to the court in an emotional state a few hours after later in an attempt to appeal his prison sentence to be released into the community, but this was refused.

An appeal for the conviction is pending.