Kevin Willoughby, 71, sentenced over Woy Woy stabbing

An elderly man from Woy Woy who stabbed a young man, telling police the man “walked into” him, has been sentenced.

An elderly Woy Woy man has avoided jail over the stabbing of a young man with a fishing knife “in close proximity to his heart”.

Kevin Willoughby, 71, was convicted in Gosford Local Court on Tuesday before Magistrate Michael Antrum.

He maintained his plea of guilty to one charge of reckless wounding (domestic violence related) despite telling the court in December 2021 that he would be changing his plea to not guilty.

Kevin Willoughby, 71, of Woy Woy, (left) leaving Gosford Local Court. Picture: NewsLocal

Magistrate Antrum sentenced Mr Willoughby to a two year community correction order which allows offenders to complete their sentences in a community setting with conditions.

The sentence relates to an incident on September 12 2021 on Railway St in Woy Woy which shocked nearby residents.

A set of agreed facts tendered to the court stated that Mr Willoughby, a pensioner, did not have a history of violence and had been in a relationship for 38 years.

The victim, aged 24, had been living with the couple for a month before the attack.

The facts state that on September 12 Mr Willoughby, who had been out for a walk to the shops, returned home where the victim was lying on the couch watching television.

An argument broke out between Mr Willoughby, his partner and the victim.

“The accused was angry and made his way to the bedroom and removed a knife from his bedside drawers,” the facts stated.

“The victim was standing at the doorway to the bedroom and continued to argue with the accused.”

The facts went on to state that a fight broke out where the victim was wounded with the knife “entering the left side of his abdomen in close proximity of his heart”.

The victim managed to walk outside to grab a chair and used it to knock Mr Willoughby, who was still holding the knife, to the ground.

He attempted to grab the knife and received deep cuts to his fingers.

When the victim secured the knife, he left the home and handed it to a neighbour who helped him with his injuries.

Mr Willoughby was sentenced to a community corrections order for two years. Picture: David Swift

Police and ambulance arrived, taking the victim to Royal North Shore Hospital and Mr Willoughby was treated for a head injury before being arrested.

The facts stated that during a police interview, Mr Willoughby told police he had an argument with the victim and grabbed his fishing knife from his bedside drawers. However he said the victim received the wound after hitting him with the chair.

“The accused said the victim walked into him resulting in the knife wound in his chest,” the facts stated.

Mr Willoughby’s community corrections order will expire on February 14 2024.