‘Possessed’ Robert Cottam told police “it’s like The Waterboy” after stabbing colleague who reminded him of a past foe
A security guard has escaped punishment for a terrifying knife attack which left a victim pleading for silence from his attacker’s incoherent ramblings.
Central Coast
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A security guard who was possessed by a “demon” stabbed a colleague in the neck because he hated fat people as “much as Adolf Hitler hated Jews”.
Robert David Cottam faced a judge alone trial at Gosford District Court after he was charged with wounding with intent to murder and wounding to inflict grievous bodily harm.
Judge Tanya Bright was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt Mr Cottam wounded the victim with the intent to kill or maim but found him not guilty by reason of mental illness.
The court heard he was employed as a security guard to protect the Munmorah Power Station site as it was being decommissioned.
About 3pm on October 14 last year he was to be relieved by a colleague who asked him “how was your shift?” when they met at the gate only for Mr Cottam to produce a short bladed knife and stab him in the neck.
The court heard Mr Cottam, 33, of North Gosford, thrust the knife several times, stabbing his colleague again in the chest and abdomen.
Judge Tanya Bright said Mr Cottam kept repeating words to the effect: “I need to do this because it’s the only way I’m going to get a girlfriend”.
Mr Cottam told his colleague, who at one point tried to play dead, that he reminded him of someone from his past and asked him “what zodiac sign are you?”.
When his colleague responded it was “the bull” Mr Cottam replied “this is because of the monkey”.
“I’m going to finish you,” Mr Cottam told his colleague who replied “please let me die quietly”.
Cottam was arrested at the southbound Caltex twin service station on the M1 an hour later.
His victim was taken to hospital suffering a 5cm-deep wound to his neck, which narrowly missed his thyroid gland, two wounds 2.5cm-deep and 6cm-deep to his chest, a 3cm wound to his abdomen and a laceration to his finger.
Mr Cottam agreed to participate in a police interview in which he told officers he believed his colleague, who he had only known for a few months, was out to get him and had “pulled faces at me”.
He told police “it’s like The Waterboy” in that he saw someone else from his past in his colleague and that he was acting in self defence in fear his colleague was out to get him.
The court heard Mr Cottam’s mental health began to deteriorate in his mid teens when he suffered severe acne.
After the stabbing his father found a diary at Mr Cottam’s unit which had entries from November 2016 to the day before the incident.
Many of the entries contained references to disturbing and demonic images, and a loathing of fat people.
“How much Adolf Hitler hated Jews is how much I hate fat people,” one entry said.
The court heard after the stabbing Mr Cottam told psychologists he hated obese people because they invariably had been bullied at school and when they grew up “their badness will come out”.
He told doctors he was worried obese people were out to undermine him.
The court also heard Mr Cottam told psychologists he had seen “demons” and one had twirled into body on the day and told him to “get your knife out” and then “do it”.
Judge Bright found Mr Cottam not guilty of the two offences by reason of mental illness.
His matter was adjourned to Friday for further consideration.