Killarney Vale: Simon Tonkin sentenced for stabbing partner’s ex in the neck

A judge has described it as “very troubling” that a man who threw objects at his partner while drunk before stabbing her ex, couldn’t accept he was a domestic violence perpetrator.

Simon Tonkin, 37, of Killarney Vale, stabbed his girlfriend’s ex who had come to pick her up after Tonkin had fought with her at his Avery Rd house. Picture: supplied

A man who stabbed his girlfriend’s ex-partner in the neck told police he “only scratched him” and he did it because the victim was interfering with his home life, a court has heard.

Simon Tonkin, 37, of Killarney Vale, faced Gosford District Court on Monday after pleading guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, reckless wounding and assault.

But the sentencing judge refused to accept Tonkin had any genuine remorse for his actions given he downplayed his involvement at every turn, blamed the victim for antagonising him and denied he was a domestic violence offender despite admitting to using violence to settle disputes.

An agreed set of facts state Tonkin had been drinking for three days when he became involved in an argument with his partner at their Avery St home on Sunday, November 19, last year.

The facts state he threw a ceramic candle holder at her which struck the woman above the eye and caused a small cut.

Tonkin was late arrested and taken to Wyong Police Station where he was charged.

The pair settled down and went to bed, but the next morning he went to the shops to buy more grog, which he brought home and they started drinking again.

By about 1.45pm, they started arguing when he threw a phone at her and again caused a small cut to her face.

Tonkin threw a candle holder and a phone at his girlfriend’s face, which caused small cuts before he stabbed her ex in the neck, who required treatment by paramedics.

She called her ex-partner to come and pick her up.

When the man arrived Tonkin grabbed a steak knife out of the kitchen drawer and “bolted” outside to where the man had gotten out of his car.

“[The victim] said words to the effect, ‘What are you gunna do with that, stab me?’,” the facts state.

“The offender didn’t say anything but ran at [the victim] and stabbed him on the left side of his neck.

“[The victim] grabbed the offender’s wrist as he was doing this, and pulled the offender’s hand, which was holding the knife, away from his neck. He ‘threw’ the offender to the ground and disarmed him. [The victim] snapped the knife in half on the road so that the offender couldn’t stab him with it again and threw it away from him.”

Neighbours came out to find the pair wrestling on the ground and they managed to prise Tonkin off before he ran back inside where the facts state he started “frantically” washing the victim’s blood off himself.

A short time later, Tonkin again emerged from the house brandishing another knife.

But just as he was coming out, a police car arrived and he threw the knife away.

He was arrested and later told officers that he thought “f--k it” and it was “about time I f--king fought him”.

Judge Tanya Bright said Tonkin was interviewed by a psychologist and Corrective Services for the purpose of producing two reports for the court, which both found he showed “limited insight” to his offending, justified his behaviour and attributed blame to the victim who “made me mad”.

“I’m not satisfied he’s genuinely remorseful for his offending,” Judge Bright said.

“It’s very troubling he denies being a domestic violence perpetrator.”

Judge Bright sentenced Tonkin to three years and three months jail with a non-parole period of one year and 10 months.

With time served he will be eligible for release on September 19 next year.