Lake Haven: Zhenguo ‘Peter’ Yang jailed for stabbing frenzy on ex-wife

A man said his mind “went blank” when his ex-wife spurned his attempt to reunite before pulling out a knife and viciously stabbing her in a frenzy, a court has heard.

The house on the Pacific Highway, Lake Haven, where Zhenguo "Peter" Yang stabbed his ex-wife multiple times. Picture: Google

An elderly man lured his ex-wife to his new house by asking her to return some of his belongings only to launch into a wild stabbing frenzy when she rejected his attempt to reunite, a court has heard.

Zhenguo “Peter” Yang, 71, appeared in Gosford District Court on Tuesday where he was sentenced to five years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.

It came after Yang pleaded guilty to breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO), breaking and entering with intent to destroy property and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

An agreed set of facts states Yang married his second wife, known as “Wendy” in 2012 after immigrating to Australia and working as a masseuse and acupuncturist on the Central Coast.

The couple divorced in April 2020 but the facts state they lived together from time to time until November 2022 when they had a physical fight and police took out an AVO against Yang.

Yang stabbed her with a 30cm kitchen knife. (Generic image - iStock)

The court heard upon hearing his ex-wife had started a new relationship Yang returned to China for three months before coming back to Lake Haven on May 13, 2023.

Yang, then aged 68, rang Wendy, then aged 56, and asked if she could return some of his belongings and she arrived at his Pacific Highway address about 8pm that day.

Yang faced Gosford District Court on Tuesday where he was sentenced. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

He asked if they could get back together but she rejected the offer and as she started moving a couple of his suitcases closer to the house “the offender started attacking her,” the facts state.

“The victim saw blood coming from above her right eye before she felt any pain. There was so much blood that the victim could not see properly. She saw the offender continually strike her in a stabbing motion.

“The offender stabbed the victim to the left side of her head and blood poured out immediately. By this stage, the victim had noticed a knife in the offender’s hands and he continued to stab her randomly in her head and body.”

The facts state neighbours heard the woman’s screams and a nearby resident came outside armed with an aluminium baseball bat.

He saw the pair struggling on the ground surrounded by a “large pool of blood”.

He yelled at Yang to “don’t move” and Wendy used the distraction to grab the knife and run off down Clarkson Lane.

Yang went to lunge at her but the neighbour whacked him in the ribs with the bat.

Wendy later flagged down a passing car while Yang went to look for her at her house on nearby Holly Close.

Yang broke in and when he couldn’t find her, he started smashing the benchtop, stove, fridge and television with a hammer before police arrived and arrested him.

The court heard Yang participated in a recorded interview the following morning where he told police he was still in love with his ex-wife but when she didn’t want to get back together it was “too much for him to bear”.

“At that point, ‘love had turned into hatred’ and he had no memory of what occurred at the victim’s home,” the facts state.

Yang told police his mind “went blank”.

Judge Tanya Bright described the unprovoked attack as “cowardly and brutal”.

“This was a vicious attack in the context of a domestic relationship that had broken down,” she said.

With time served Yang will be eligible for release on November 12 next year.